Who's the Idiot?
by Hydra no Mago
Summary: "Who's the idiot?" Masato and Ren have been going out for some time, but problems arise. Which idiot comes to save the day? Yaoi, OCXMasa. Rating's up to M. It's there for a reason!
1. Prologue

Prologue – Idiot

_He's an idiot. _

_A complete idiot. _

_How could he not notice my feelings for him, even after all this time?_

The bluenette looked down to his trembling hands. He buried his face. He felt the tears prickling at the sides of his eyes.

_Idiot._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Rain

Rain.

Rain always seemed to be near wherever sadness lie.

And now, the rain just felt so good on Masato's back, his face.

It awakened him, forced him to see the harsh reality and accept it.

Masato ran faster, the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

The muscles of his legs tightened. He hadn;t exercised much recently and his legs felt as if on fire.

Stopping abruptly, Masato crouched down on the open field he had ran to and tried to catch his breath.

He held his face up to the sky and let the rain beat down on him. He didn't care if he was soaked. He didn't care if he was going to get sick. He didn't care at all.

He didn't want to care anymore.

He couldn't afford to care anymore.

He felt the water streaming down his cheeks. _Why am I crying?_ He wanted to kick himself. Why was he crying? That jerk Ren didn't care about him anyway. He wanted to bury himself in the earth and just die.

All of a sudden, the rain stopped showering onto him.

Masato could see a shadow loom over him. He could hear the pitter-patter of raindrops, hitting an umbrella probably.

"Masato, are you okay?"

He knew that voice. That voice sounded so caring, so warm.

Immediately he got up from his crouching position and hugged the tall male who held the black umbrella.

"Masato?" The male sounded very concerned now. The Masato he knew never acted like this.

Before he could stop it, the bluenette was racking into sobs.

The other male just hugged him tighter and soothed his back. "It's okay, Masato. It's okay."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – An unexpected person

"Hajimemashite*. My name is Corvus. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu*." The person who uttered that sentence bowed towards the members of STARISH and QUARTET NIGHT.

~.~.~.~

"Ne, Masa-chan!~" called the energetic red-head as the boys were walking back to their rooms. "What did you think of Corvus?"

"Che! Looks like an ass-kisser to me!" declared Syo as he tipped his head back and puffed his chest out.

Natsuki chuckled. "I don't know, Syo-chan! Looks like a pretty nice guy to me!" said the platinum blonde as he slid his arm around the smaller blonde which earned a "Get off me Natsuki!"

"I agree with Shinomiya." stated the one called Masato simply. He wasn't one for long sentences.

Ren gave a smirk. "But appearances can be deceiving, no?"

"Like you." retorted Tokiya from the end of their group and Masato wanted to give him a trophy for saying that.

As much as Masato loved Ren, his partner was getting extremely cocky nowadays. Not that he wasn't cocky before. This time, he was just that much worse than usual.

Syo and Otoya were snickering in the background.

"That hurts, Ichi." said Ren in a pathetically sad voice. More of his drama.

Tokiya said nothing. He just walked on and Masato practically wanted to give the stoic boy a hug. Tokiya was a genius at avoiding Ren!

Sliding his eyes over to the window, Masato saw their strange guest again.

_Corvus, huh?_

~.~.~.~

"You think you can settle down here, Corvus?"

Corvus nodded his head. "Yep! The room is spacious and everything looks perfect!" He turned on his heel to face his family. "Thanks a lot, brother."

The person whom Corvus referred to as his brother gave a slight incline of his head. "Just call me Camus. We're not even real brothers."

"Right, right. Sorry." said the other teen and patted his step-brother on the shoulder as he left him to his own devices for the time being.

Corvus threw his travelling bags onto the floor and flopped onto the bed. Staring up at the beige coloured ceiling, he couldn't help but smile to himself.

He had seen a lot of interesting faces today, and he was itching to get to know them better.

Especially one called 'Hijirikawa Masato'.

~.~.~.~

"Achoo!" Masato excused himself after the sneeze.

He wiped his nose and felt his forehead. No, he was not running a fever, nor did he feel sick.

_Someone must be talking about me. _


	4. Chapter 3

**Thanks to all who have read this! I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Don't forget to favourite and/ review! ^^**

Chapter 3 – A crow

Corvus means 'crow' in latin. And he really did look like a crow.

Corvus was tall. He was even taller than Natsuki a little. He was graced with a lithe yet muscular frame. Not the kind of bulky muscle which you would find on weight-lifting champions. It was the kind where you found on an athlete. He had a mane of silky black hair which brushed his shoulders, long bangs and the sharpest pair of silver eyes anyone has ever seen. When he smiled, one could see his sharp incisors, like a dangerous animal or a vampire. Speaking of vampires, he had pale and almost transparent skin. He looked like he's been kept in a dark room six feet under the earth for all his life.

Despite all of his menacing and odd ball looks, Corvus was kind at heart. Everyone could see that.

The new addition to their little dorm was named Corvus, step-brother to one of the members of QUARTET NIGHT, Camus. They had little blood relation going on between them, yet they seemed like they had a good bond as step-brothers.

Why was Corvus living here, eh?

That's the question that Tokiya asked.

~.~.~.~

Nabe was good to eat in the winter, since it warmed you up. Eating it in the summer seemed ridiculous.

And it was. The weather outside was already killing the poor teens who sat in the house, yet they had a steaming pot of soup in front of them, prepared with meat and vegetables and noodles.

Syo's chopsticks twitched. He really didn't like having a hotpot meal right smack in the middle of this heat haze. The others seemed to agree, as they were reluctant to dig in and were sweating sheets of rain.

All except one.

Corvus dipped the slices of meat into the boiling pot of plain soup and took them out into his bowl where he began munching on them. He had a very appreciative look on his face. "Mm!~ Oiishi ne!" he wasn't even sweating.

The others looked at him as if he was crazy. Corvus munched on more. He even managed to finish some of the soup. Some had started to doubt whether he did sweat at all.

A certain blonde was starting to get irritated by the sight. "Oi, Corvus. Don't you feel hot _at all_?" Syo had even taken off his hat and jacket before this.

At the mention of his name, the black haired youth turned to look at the little blonde with those piercing eyes of his. "No, not at all, Kurusu-san."

Syo arched an eyebrow. "Why so formal?"

"Eh?" Corvus looked dumbfounded. "Is it bad to sound formal?" A charming smile hung on his face.

"N-not at all." said Syo who was getting a tad embarrassed. "But you could call us by our first names!"

"Haha!~ Sorry, I haven't been to Japan in a while, so I'm a bit rusty to your culture still!"

"Eh?! You haven't been living in Japan?!" asked the curious Otoya.

Now he had everyone's attention.

"Correct." He snapped up a piece of meat and chewed on it.

"Corvus was originally based in England with me." explained Camus. "He was travelling before this."

Natsuki seemed puzzled. "Travelling to where?"

"Around the world." Answered Corvus when he finished. "For my tour."

"Tour?!" said Otoya and Natsuki at the same time. They looked shocked. After all, Corvus didn't look like one to be giving a tour.

"Why are you all looking so surprised?" Camus crossed his arms over his chest. "Corvus is an idol anyway."

Their eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "EH?!"

"Now that you mention it..." Everyone turned to Ai who looked like he was deep in thought. "...Corvus does look like _that_ person."

Ranmaru seemed to catch on quickly. "Oh, _that_ guy." He scrunched up his nose at the image conjured up in his mind.

"W-what guy, Ai-senpai, Kurosaki-senpai?"

Reiji laughed. "That brings back memories, Ai-ai, Ran-ran!~"

The STARISH members were dying from suspense.

"Can't you recognize this guy?~" asked Reiji as he points to a smiling Corvus. "He's The Crow!~"

No reaction from the younger members.

"You know, that famous idol!~"

Still nothing.

"Maa, Kotobuki-san. I think they really don't know me." said Corvus as he tried to push Reiji's finger away form his face.

Tokiya snapped up. "You don't mean _that_ Crow. The one with the hit single, A Requiem of Crows."

"Wah!~ Tokiya-kun knows his idols well!~ That's absolutely right!~" exclaimed Tokiya's energetic senior.

Camus calmly took a sip of his tea, British style. "If he wasn't that person, why would he be here?"

"Why are you living here?" inquired Tokiya, who was now very curious about Corvus.

"To help you all."

"Help us?" asked the platinum blond.

"Hai, to help you." Corvus crossed his arms on the table and leaned in. "You guys are a great team! I loved your performance during the UtaPri awards. It was out of this world! Literally!"

The members of STARISH all seemed pleased by the fact that a popular idol loved their work.

"But," Corvus held up a finger. "It's just going to get harder from here on out." He had a serious look in his eyes. "The expectations placed on you are now very high and you can't risk disappointing your audience. My job, is to help you get through this gigantic first hurdle."

"Which means you will be training us?" Masato finally spoke up.

"Something like that. Think of me as a counselor."

"So, it's like Ringo sensei." A timid golden eyed girl spoke. Corvus looked at her kindly. She looked like a scared rabbit.

"Mm-hmm." hummed Corvus. "I look forward to working with the members of STARISH and QUARTET NIGHT!"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Training start!

Syo practically threw himself onto the couch. He was panting and sweat beaded down his forehead relentlessly. His face was tinted pink from exertion. "That Corvus..." He seemed to run out of breath. "Really knows how to work people to death..."

Cecil came to sit next to the blonde. "I agree with Syo." Cecil looked like he just ran a marathon.

"That wasn't so bad." said Ren to the tired group.

"Stop acting tough..." Syo managed. "You're panting too. And sweating."

Which was true. Every single one of the STARISH members were exhausted.

~.~.~.~

"No, yo have to put more energy into it." said Corvus.

The team was having dance practice then. They had showed Corvus their dance, and he had approved and praised them for doing so well.

But as he mentioned, he needed to make some adjustments.

"Stretch out more."

"Right foot, left foot, left foot, right foot..."

"And 1, 2, 3, 4 ; 2, 2, 3, 4..."

The adjustments were killing then though.

~.~.~.~

Tokiya wiped the sweat from his brow with his handkerchief. It was already soaked. "It's for the better. We have to improve so that we don't disappoint our fans."

Syo let out a groan. He hated how right Tokiya was sometimes.

"Tokiya-kun?" Natsuki was fanning himself wildly. "Do you know about that song, 'A Requiem of Crows'?"

"I haven't listened to it either." said Masato.

Ren scoffed a little. "I wonder if it's really that good."

Tokiya wasn't a people person, but he felt it obligatory to his teammates. "I have the CD buried somewhere." He scanned the faces in the room. "I'll play it on my computer after dinner. Whoever wants to come and watch is welcome."

"Really Tokiya?~" Otoya's eyes were shining with delight. He always liked having his friends over while Tokiya didn't. He knew Tokiya was making a huge sacrifice of his personal space. Everyone else did too.

The stoic boy let out a soft sigh. "Yes, you may."

"Yay!~ Tokiya's letting us watch a video!~"

"What are you Otoya? Three?" asked Syo who was still limp on the couch. He didn't know where the red head got all his energy from.

Otoya pouted. "Syo's shorter than me."

At the mention of his name and the word 'short', Syo jumped from the couch an d tackled Otoya to the ground. "Who ya callin' short?!"

The others couldn't help but laugh.

"Oi, get to practice already." Ranmaru was standing at the top of the stairs, arms crossed.

"But we just finished practice!" whined Cecil.

"Che. You still have our practice!" scolded their heterochromia senior.

Reiji popped up behind him. "Ran-ran got it right!~ You still have to practice with your senpais!~"

The members of the popular STARISH looked at them disbelievingly.

"WE STILL HAVE TO PRACTICE?!"

* * *

**Minna-san, hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to favourite and/ review!**

**Sorry my writing skills aren't up to date. **


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – A requiem of crows

"Tokiya, what's the meaning of 'requiem'?"

No answer from the stoic boy. He was busy getting his computer ready so he could insert the disc. Too bad they didn't have a high quality DVD player.

Masato took the opportunity to explain. "A requiem is basically a mass for the response of the souls of the dead. A musical response to the settings of such a mass."

Otoya looked at the bluenette in confusion.

"A funeral song." chipped in Ren as Masato stared at him.

Calling it a funeral song was disrespectful, but as long as Otoya seemed to understand, then Masato would let it off.

A loud tap came from the keyboard. "Done."

The other six boys huddled around the computer, waiting for the CD to load.

It was all black at first, but they could hear the screams of the audiences a moment later. It was very loud. "Corvus! Corvus! Corvus!" That was their chant until a tall youth with a mane of black hair appeared on stage. He was wearing a long black feathered cloak and black shirt, pants, shoes underneath. A broad smile graced his face as he waved to the audience, making some of the fangirls squeal in delight.

"He looks..." Syo couldn't quite place his finger on it.

"... Younger." His roommate finished for him.

"Shh! The song is starting!" hushed the excited red head.

_Can you hear it? _

_Can you hear their silent cries?_

_They are crying for you to hear._

Otoya arched his brow. He tried to hear any sort of cry.

_Out on the road,_

_You hear the beat of their wings._

_Up in the sky, _

_You can see them fly._

Natsuki smiled. Looks like Corvus was a very descriptive person.

_Yet you detest them so,_

_They never appealed to you._

_Hate, disgust, envy._

Ren could vouch for that. He never did like those big black birds.

_You want to paint_

_This monochrome world of yours._

Masato perked his ears up. Was his world still in monochrome?

_A requiem of crows,_

_They are crying out to you._

_A requiem of crows,_

_Wake up from your despair._

_Forget all your pride,_

_Forget all your hate,_

_Forget all your pain,_

_Forget all your tears._

Cecil touched his heart and listened more.

_A requiem of crows,_

_You can soar through the sky._

_A requiem of crows,_

_There is nothing you can't do._

_Forget everything _

_That bound you down._

_Just turn around _

_And look at me._

Syo was going to comment howcocky Corvus was getting until he noticed that the word 'me' meant 'crow'.

_A requiem of crows, _

_Let us spread our wings and fly!_

Just when they thought it had ended, Corvus sung a lone verse, in a barely audible voice.

_A requiem of crows, _

_Please save me too._

The crowd went wild. There was screaming and shouts of "Encore! Encore!" and "Corvus! Corvus!"

The screen went blank and the boys could see their faces reflected back to them.

They were in awe and surprise but mostly in shock. They expected Corvus to be good, but not _this_ good.

They just sat there stunned for a while. Until Tokiya cleared his throat. "You guys can go back now, the CD has ended."

"Ne, Tokiya?" asked a certain red head. His voice was soft, as if he dared not speak.

"What is it, Ittoki?" asked an exasperated Tokiya. He didn't like the others in his room.

"Can we watch it again?" Tokiya could see the gleaming red eyes of his roommate.

The rest of them seemed to agree.

"Yeah, play it again, Ichi."

"Please, Tokiya!"

"Would you mind?"

Tokiya sighed loudly. Walking over to the still huddled group, he pressed the repeat button. Seriously, why couldn't they get their own computers.

* * *

Arigatou minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review!

Special thanks to Tokittoki for posting the first review! -hugs-


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – CD craze

"Hmm?~ What's wrong, Toki-chan?~" Reiji bent down to the sighing teen who was perched on the couch.

"It's nothing." He didn't want to drag his senpai into this. It wasn't worth it.

Reiji pouted. "Oh, come on~ You can tell me anything!~"

Tokiya felt amused that his senpai's attitude was so much like Otoya's. And their attitude matched HAYATO's. Maybe that's why Shining assigned them to the same group.

"Toki-chan!~" His senpai was beginning to whine.

Tokiya sighed. Seems like he was sighing a lot nowadays. "I showed them a CD clip of Corvus singing the other day, and now all of them wants to borrow it."

"Then why don't you just borrow it to them?~"

"I did."

"Then what's the problem?~

"They want more."

Reiji was puzzled. "More?~"

"They want to find more of Corvus' songs. And I don't know where to find it for them."

"Oh!~" said Reiji who was catching on. "They're being annoying, eh?~"

Tokiya seemed surprised that Reiji would use such a word, but didn't give it much thought. "Yes."

"Why don't you just ask Corvus for his songs then?~ I'm sure he has some old CDs of his lying around in his suitcase somewhere!~"

"I tried that. He said he didn't."

~.~.~.~

"Excuse me, Corvus-senpai?" Tokiya approached the male carefully.

They had just finished training their voices and Tokiya could feel his throat widen. Corvus had taught them a special 'trick' that would open their throats and prolong them singing songs without losing their voice.

"Simple. Just imagine you're blowing air into a balloon." said a smiling Corvus.

The boys planted the image of blowing a balloon into their minds.

"Now, instead of blowing out the air, suck in the air."

At first they were hesitant to do so. What kind of technique was that?

"Trust me."

One by one, they tried to perform the trick and when they practiced singing afterwards, they could feel the difference.

It was effective. Weird, but effective.

"Yes, Tokiya-kun?" Having stayed here for a while, Corvus was now used to calling them by their first names.

Tokiya didn't really know how to put this. "Do you happen to have any of your old CDs lyin around? The ones where you are performing in them."

It was there. It was there for just a split second but Tokiya swore he could see Corvus flinch underneath that cool smiling exterior.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't got any, Tokiya-kun. Sorry to dissapoint."

"It's fine." He felt a little down.

"What do you need them for anyway, if you don't mind me poking my nose into your business."

Tokiya stared at him, looking for any signs that might give Corvus away. "My friends seemed to be curious about you." Oh well, it was the truth. Half of it anyway.

~.~.~.~

"Ho~ So that's how it is!~" Reiji had sat down opposite Tokiya while he told his story.

Tokiya kept silent. They had all seen Corvus' performance on 'A Requiem of Crows', even their golden-eyed composer, Nanami Haruka.

And they all wanted to see more. Hard to admit it to himself, but even Tokiya was curious to listen to Corvus' other songs.

Reiji snapped his fingers. "Why don't we get some from Myu-chan?~"

"Camus senpai?"

~.~.~.~

"And what would make you think that I would have his CDs?"

They were in Camus' and Cecil's shared room. Cecil was writing up a score on the branch of a tree which was located next to the window of the room.

"That's because Myu-chan is Kara-chan's stepbrother!~"

"Kara-chan?..." asked Cecil. He has never known anyone called Kara-chan.

"Mm!~ Corvus that is!~"

Camus rubbed his temples. "Why 'Kara-chan'?"

Reiji looked at him as if he were stupid, which irked Camus more. "Because Corvus means crow right?~ Karasu means crow!~ that's why his nickname is Kara-chan!~"

Tokiya wanted to faint. His senpai really was dense when it came to things like this.

For example, he nicknamed Camus senpai 'Myu-chan' just because they couldn't pronounce his English name correctly.

However, Cecil seemed to be impressed with Reiji's naming sense. "Amazing, Reiji-senpai!"

"There, told you so!~"

Camus had an angry look on his face. "I. Don't. Have. The. CDs." He stressed each word to make sure Reiji got it into his head. "Get. Out."

~.~.~.~

Why was he doing this again?

Oh right.

Because Otoya wouldn't stop whining if he didn't get his hands on one of Corvus' CDs.

"I can try to do it for you, but you have to give me something in return."

"Aww, come on, Ai-ai!~ Just this once!~"

They were in the shared room of Ai-senpai, natsuki and Syo.

"No deal." replied the emotionless boy.

"But you're the only one we know who can do this!~" whined Reiji.

Syo and Natsuki were out, leaving Ai-senpai, Reiji-senpai and himself, Ichinose Tokiya.

Ai-senpai kept mum. He wanted something in return if he was going to help them look and download songs of Corvus illegally from the internet.

Tokiya had tried to do so, but most sites he knew had a strong firewall.

Ai-senpai was the only _real_ hacker here.

"Come on, Ai-ai!~ Please!~"

"No." came the swift reply.

Tokiya wondered how they managed to work together as a team for QUARTET NIGHT.

"I'll give you one of the limited edition HAYATO CDs." He needed to make this quick. Reiji-senpai was getting them nowhere.

Mikaze Ai just stared at him through those pale green eyes of his.

"Deal."

~.~.~.~

"Why am I doing this again?" Tokiya wondered out loud.

"Shh! Shut up Tokiya!" silenced Syo.

They were all gathered in his room again, the members of STARISH and their composer, the members of QUARTET NIGHT, watching the downloaded clips of various performances by Corvus.

Ai-senpai was really good at this.

Reiji had dragged the rest of his teammates into his shared room and made them watch the videos that were playing on Tokiya's computer. They even had popcorn ready.

What was this, a cinema?

Tokiya had to admit one thing.

Corvus' performances were something good to watch.

~.~.~.~

_**Meanwhile...**_

Corvus walked down the stairs and into the dining room.

_Where is everyone?_

* * *

**Thank you all once again! ^^ Please don't forget to favourite and/ review!**

**Truth to be told, I was more than skeptical to write this chapter. The whole thing is read like a filler arc. **

**Anyway, this is done, so on to the next chapter we go!**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Rocky road

A road can be smooth. If you encountered such a road, then you would be a very lucky person.

However, there are rocky roads as well. And if you encounter these roads, you would be very unlucky indeed.

These roads are harsh. They rock you back and forth, never giving you a moment's rest.

Sure, it can be thrilling once in a while to say that you have overcome this road, safely making your way to the other side.

But if you have to do it everyday, then it becomes a bore.

Not only a bore, it also feels like a chore.

~.~.~.~

That's how Masato feels.

He's been in a relationship with Ren for some time now. Almost all of his friends knew about it too, since the orange haired male made it so obvious.

He had to admit, he was drawn to Ren like how moths were drawn to a light ever since the first day they met.

There was something about Ren.

He had those sapphire eyes, the silky orange hair, the tanned body, the sculpted lips. He was sexy, no doubt about it.

But it wasn't the looks that first drew Masato in.

It was the freedom that Ren carried with him. He always looked so free, doing what he wants, when he wants.

And to a person bound to his family like Masato, Ren was like a god.

Ren was still free, but he was no longer a god.

After dating his friend turned rival, Masato had begun to see Ren in another light.

Yes, Ren was free. But he was also very irresponsible. And also very undependable.

Masato had never liked that side of Ren, yet he tried his best to love him.

However, Masato had already caught Ren sleeping with other women and men before. Women and men that he and Ren himself didn't really know.

"I was just entertaining them." was his well-used excuse.

Masato would get mad, naturally.

Time and time again Ren would apologize.

Time and time again Masato would forgive him.

Time and time again Ren would repeat his mistakes.

Their relationship was a rocky one and Masato wondered how much longer he could hold out.

* * *

Thank you all for reading! Don't forget to favourite and/ review!

Speaking of which, if you liked this story, please check out my other stories as well!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Individual tutoring

It has been a few weeks since Corvus started to live with the members of STARISH. He was placed there by Shining Saotome to help the boys rise even higher as stars of the idol world.

"Individual tutoring." mentioned Corvus to the seven boys.

"Why do we need to do that?" asked Ren who seemed to be unnerved by sitting in the same room as the black haired male.

"It's to improve individually." stated Corvus, the smile on his face not faltering. "As a group, you function really well. Rarely will other groups have that special bond that all of you share."

The others seemed to be happy that Corvus had taken note on that.

"Unfortunately, if one person fails in a group, the rest will fail too."

Cecil winced at the rather harsh statement.

"That's why I would like to tutor all of you individually for at least an hour and a half a week. Are you all fine with it?"

Seeing as Corvus was doing his best to help the boys os STARISH, they nodded.

"Great!" He pulled out a thin piece of paper from his black folder which he kept secured on his clipboard. Carefully, he slid on his black-framed glasses.

The more Syo looked at Corvus who usually wore shirts and was now wearing a pair of glasses and holding a clipboard, the more he was convinced Corvus is a teacher.

"Here's a list of the days and times to have the individual tutoring sessions. Since there are seven of you, I had to plan over the Saturdays and Sundays as well. Sorry about that."

The plan noted as follows:-

Sunday: Hijirikawa Masato [Afternoon]

Monday: Ichinose Tokiya [Afternoon]

Tuesday: Ittoki Otoya [Afternoon]

Wednesday: Jinguji Ren [Morning]

Thursday: Aijima Cecil [Morning]

Friday: Shinomiya Natsuki [Morning]

Saturday: Kurusu Syo [Evening]

"Um... Corvus-kun?" asked Otoya as he raised his hand. "Why aren't there any exact times?~"

Corvus adjusted his glasses which were slipping down. "That's because you guys are idols. You have a very busy schedule right?" A few nods. "I just put down the time of the day. Just come see me when you're free during that time of the day! I'll clear out my schedule for you!"

Tokiya scanned the list carefully. He was on a Monday afternoon. He'd have to make that work somehow.

"Would you like me to change anything?" asked Corvus who was looking at the boys who crowded around the paper.

"Corvus-san, can we make it two hours?" asked Masato. He needed more time to make use of the individual tutoring. It was hard to come by a chance like this.

Ren arched his eyebrow. "So eager, Masanyan?"

The bluenette pushed Ren's face away. "Shut up."

"I'm okay with it, but you'll have to ask your teammates first." Corvus couldn't help but look at how close Ren was to Masato. Of course Corvus wasn't a total idiot. He knew from the way they acted and his inquiries on them from Camus that the two were in a relationship. Still, there was just _something_ that made it impossible to keep his eyes off Masato.

A heated debate was going in between the boys. Somes said yes and somes said no to the two hour period. After getting nowhere for five minutes, they decided to draw lots.

Otoya, Natsuki, Syo and Masato voted yes while Tokiya, Cecil and Ren voted no because of their own reasons. Tokiya was afraid that he couldn't make it, since he still had to perform as HAYATO. Cecil and Ren were just too lazy.

All the while, Corvus just stood there, waiting for their answer with a smile on his face.

"The answer is yes." Masato said.

Taking a pen from his pocket, Corvus crossed out '1, 30' from the paper and put down '2,00'. As he took the paper, he felt his fingers brush against Masato's. A tiny jolt of electricity went up his arm at the contact, but Corvus just feigned nonchalance. For Masato, the brief touch didn't go unnoticed either. Somehow, Corvus' fingers felt warm.

"So, it's decided! We'll have a two hour period on individual tutoring a day starting from next week!" Corvus said happily as he clicked his pen shut.

* * *

Thank you, minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review!

P.S.: Masato singing 'sanctuary' sounds so good! XD


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Sunday's individual tutoring

Masato practically jogged down the halls. He was a bit late for his individual tutoring now.

_Damn that Ren! _he cursed in his mind. It was the sapphire eyed male's fault. He kept on teasing Masato to no end and stopped him when he tried to leave their room.

_Dammit! _Masato was already three minutes late.

~.~.~.~

"Corvus-san?"

No answer.

"Corvus-san?" Masato called a second time.

Still no answer.

Corvus looked so absorbed in his work.

"Corvus-san?" Masato gently placed his hand on Corvus' shoulder.

Corvus jumped from his seat in the study. "Wah! It's you Masato-kun!" He looked spooked out, his glasses hung loosely. "Heh heh, a little scare there." He patted his chest.

"Ah, sorry." Masato looked taken aback.

Corvus immediately regretted what he said. "What are you apologizing for?" his tone softened. "It's okay, really!" He waved all past comments away.

"Anyway, did you come here to see me about something, Masato-kun?" Corvus liked how Masato's name felt on his mouth.

The bluenette nodded. "It's about today's individual tutoring."

"Oh yes! Today it's your turn isn't it Masato-kun?" Corvus acted like he just remembered about it, but in actuality, he had been looking forward to today.

"Yes it is. And I would like to come from 2pm to 4pm, if it's alright with you, Corvus-san."

"Sure it's alright! Thanks for giving me the heads up Masato-kun!" He grinned widely. "At the Moon Practice room, then!"

He nodded, bowed and made his way out of the study.

Corvus returned to his work. He needed to prepare for this afternoon's tutoring. Just as he was about to pick his pencil up, he heard Masato's voice from the doorway.

"And you can drop the '-kun', Corvus-san."

With that, the bluenette was gone from the study.

Corvus smiled to himself. _How cute._

_~.~.~.~_

Corvus stood near the window in the Moon Practice Room, one of the only practice rooms to have a grand piano in it.

The sky outside was bright and the afternoon breeze blew in through the window, making Corvus' hair fly. It was a beautiful day and Corvus felt sorry that he had to keep Masato indoors. On other days, he could've taken the others outdoors, but he can't just heave the whole grand piano which was located on the second floor outside. And if it rained unexpectedly, he would have to heave the whole thing back in again.

Somehow, that idea didn't appeal to him.

He could hear a faint pitter-patter. Corvus wrinkled up his nose and looked at the sky. No, it didn't smell or look like it was raining. The pitter-pattering was getting louder. Louder and closer.

A sudden burst of the two heavy oak doors revealed a panting Masato, notebook and scores in a hand.

Corvus immediately walked to the other bot. "Masato-kun, are you okay?" His voice was laced with genuine concern. The bluenette looked as if he had ran around the whole building. But Corvus recalled that he did mention the place to Masato.

"..." the bluenette mumbled something incoherent.

"What?"

"Sorry, I'm late." he managed to say a little breathlessly.

Corvus was surprised at his action. He was apologizing because he was what, Corvus glanced at the clock, five minutes late? "Come on, sit down and catch your breath first." Corvus maneuvered Masato to sit next to the piano.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you." Masato seemed to be back to his normal self.

Corvus gave him a wide smile. "Good!" He patted Masato on the shoulder. The contact made his hand tingle.

~.~.~.~

They had discussed some scores and practiced for an hour before Corvus decided that it was time for a short break.

Masato downed his water. He had been singing for the past hour, burning his throat.

Corvus on the other hand, took miniscule sips.

"I'll drop the '-kun' if you drop the '-san'."

The statement came out of nowhere that Masato had to think a bit before he knew what Corvus was talking about.

"Of course, Corvus."

"Thanks, Masato."

For the two males, they had felt something different when they uttered the other's given name. Without the suffix's, they sounded more _intimate_ with each other.

And for some reason or not, Masato could feel a light clenching in his chest. He brushed it off, thinking that it was a mild case of heartburn.

~.~.~.~

"Thank you very much for tutoring me today, Corvus."

"Thank you for showing up and showing such eagerness to learn!" exclaimed Corvus. He had gotten used to calling Masato by his first name without the suffix and so did Masato.

Masato bowed and turned to leave.

Corvus took a glance at his watch. It was 4pm, the time for snacks.

"Hey, Masato?"

The younger boy stopped in his tracks and turned to face Corvus.

"Want to go grab a bite?"

The younger boy smiled. "Sure."

* * *

**Thank you minna-san! Don't forget to favourite and/ review!**

**Ack, this chapter went on a little too long for its own good. **


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Knocking on my mind

Corvus banged his head on the shower wall.

No blood was trickling down, lucky for him. But even if it did, he didn't really care.

There was only one thing that was occupying his mind right now.

One person to be exact.

_Hijirikawa Masato_.

~.~.~.~

"Melon bread?" asked Corvus as he saw the bluenette taking one.

He nodded. "It's tasty."

Although Masato was saying it in an even voice, Corvus could see the obvious gleam in his eyes when he mentioned the bun.

"It's your favourite food, I presume."

Masato's face was dusted with pink, making him look cuter. "How did you know?" he asked Corvus in disbelief.

Deciding to have a little fun with him, Corvus said: "That's because I can read minds!"

"Yeah, right." Masato scolded himself for getting all flustered. He nudged Corvus with an arm.

They were at a small cafe which was a ten-minute walk away from the dorms. Masato seemed to visit this quaint little shop often, as the girl at the counter knew exactly what his order was before he could say it.

Corvus just got himself a scone with raspberry jam and a good old bottle of green tea to down it all.

Just as Masato was about to pay for his food, Corvus stopped him. "My treat."

Masato wanted to retort, but Corvus had already pulled out his wallet and paid for their food.

"We could've gone Dutch."

"Well, you did show up and pay full attention during the tutoring session."

They chose to sit at a table in a corner where they will mostly be left on their own.

Mostly, because some people had already started whispering about the famous idol Masato.

"You're the popular one." Corvus whistled.

"Like you're not." Masato took a bite out of his bread.

Sitting opposite Masato, Corvus couldn't help but stare. His pale skin, his soft blue hair, his long pianist's fingers, his beauty mark under his eye. What he noticed most of all were his eyes. Usually, the boy would keep to himself and look totally calm, but he had expressive eyes.

Masato caught Corvus staring. "What are you looking at?"

Realizing that he was caught, Corvus quickly said "Your melon bread."

"Melon bread?" Masato didn't understand why Corvus wanted to stare at his melon bread.

Corvus put on a charming smile. " You look like you enjoy it thoroughly!"

Lightly, Corvus could feel something being pushed to his lips. He felt his heart miss a beat.

"Why don't you take a bite?" offered Masato. He didn't know what was propelling him to do this. Masato rarely shares his melon bread. Not even Ren can come between Masato and his melon bread. Maybe it's because Corvus treated him to their snacks.

Gingerly, Corvus sunk his teeth into the soft texture of the bread and chewed a small portion off. "Mm!~" he hummed in appreciation. "It really is delicious!"

Masato sat there with a 'I told you so' look on his face, pleased that he managed to introduce Corvus to the world of melon bread.

Corvus closed his eyes and savoured the taste. "Arigatou ne, Masato!~"

There it was again. A tight clench in his chest. Briefly, Masato wondered what it meant as he returned to his eating.

~.~.~.~

The water from the shower was still beating down on him.

Somehow, Corvus always felt his best when he was drenched in water. The element made him calm, cool and relaxed.

That's why he did most of his complex thinking in the shower.

For example, now.

Hijirikawa Masato was a tough question indeed.

From what Corvus could deduct, he had a certain admiration for the bluenette.

But did he like Masato?

Of course he did. He liked all of his friends.

Does he love Masato?

He loves his step-brother too.

But does he **love** Masato?

He couldn't answer that one.

_Masato already has someone else. _Even if he did love the youth, he couldn't get between Masato and Ren.

He knew that.

He knew that, and yet...

Corvus pounded his fist on the tiled wall.

Why can't I get him out of my mind?

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review! ^^**

**Ah, the OCXMasa is starting!~ -wags eyebrows suggestively-**


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Clenching chest

Masato laid his brush down, less than pleased with his work.

The writing on the rice paper seemed to slant and the lines didn't curve beautifully enough.

The blunette frowned, knitting his eyebrows together. He didn't usually write like this. His writing was perfect almost every time.

Something must've been bothering him.

Masato ran his mind through the events of the day. _Waking up, shower, breakfast, arguing with Ren about milk, practice with the team, meeting Corvus in the study..._

There it was again.

Masato lightly put his hand over his chest. It was clenching again. Did people who don't drink milk get heartburn often?

_After that I went to get lunch, prepare notebooks and scores for the day's individual tutoring, getting teased by Ren, late to the tutoring session with Corvus..._

He felt his chest clench again.

Why was this happening? He might need to go see a doctor after all.

_Let's see, practicing with Corvus,..._

It clenched.

_Going out to get snacks with Corvus,..._

It clenched tighter.

_Offering Corvus melon bread,..._

Tighter.

_Seeing Corvus' smile,..._

Immediately, Masato shook out all thoughts of his black haired tutor.

And almost immediately, he could feel his chest loosen up, returning to its original state.

_What is going on?_

He heard the door click and in came Ren, smelling of alcohol.

Masato glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 6:30 pm, almost time for dinner. And was Ren downing alcohol just now?

"Where were you?" came the bluenette's sharp voice. He was worried about Ren, and that made him angry. Ren had promised not to make him worry anymore.

Purplish-blue eyes met with sapphire ones.

"Out." came the short reply.

Masato's frown deepened. "Out where?" He was determined to know where Ren had been, and what he had been doing.

"None of your business." said Ren as he waved his hand and flopped onto his bed.

"It **is** my business." Masato was glowering at the other male now.

Ren scoffed. "Who are you, my father?" He glared at Masato.

"I'm your _**boyfriend**_, for crying out loud!" He couldn't take it. Masato blew his top. He marched over to Ren, crossing his arms. "Where in the world have you been?"

With this, Ren sat up, facing the bluenette head on. "And why the fuck should I tell you?!" He stood up, towering over Masato. "What, you think just because you're my boyfriend, that gives you the right to know everything about my life?!"

"Does it not give me the right?!" They were both shouting. " I am worried about you, Ren!"

"So stop worrying already!" said Ren like it was the simplest thing to do in the world. "can't you do even that?!"

Fuming, Masato pushed Ren aside and locked himself in the bathroom.

He didn't want to argue with Ren.

It hurt.

Ren, seeming not to know when to give up, banged on the door loudly. "Masato! Open this door, Masato! Masato! Open it right now!"

Masato didn't care. He held onto the shaking doorknob like a lifeline.

He didn't want to see Ren's face right now. He just didn't.

After a few more minutes of futile effort on Ren's side, Masato heard Ren curse his luck and got out of their room.

He waited until he could no longer hear the footsteps echoing in the hallway.

Silently, he started to cry. The tears were streaming slowly down.

Sensing this, he quickly stopped himself. No, Hijirikawa Masato did not cry. Never.

He wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his yukata and took deep calming breaths.

~.~.~.~

Someone nudged him awake in the middle of the night. Masato opened his eyes wearily.

"I'm sorry, Masato. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." It was Ren's chant.

He had been missing when dinner time had rolled around, making some members question his whereabouts. Masato had given them the truth. "I don't know where he is."

Now, Ren was in their room, chanting his mantra in front of Masato.

Groggily the bluenette pushed himself up and hugged his boyfriend.

He stroked the sapphire eyed male's hair. "It's okay. It's okay, Ren. It's okay."

Yet in his heart, Masato had a doubt.

_Will it really be okay?_

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san for reading this! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review! Plus, check out my other stories if you liked this one!**

**Thank you Tokittoki for all your reviews! **

**Just to answer them,:**

**-I still am skeptical about the lyrics, since I don't have any talent writing songs. XD**

**-If there're people who want me to ship the other with OCs, then I'll happily oblige! Not in this story though.**

**-I will make sure to improve my sentences, thank you!**

**-In this story, I needed Tokiya to still act as Hayato, so I'm not following the anime 100%. **

**-I'll update as soon as I can!**


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Ups and downs of individual tutoring in general

Corvus took a long look at the papers, files and mostly scores, scattered on his table.

When he first arrived, the table had looked very spacious. It was big enough to accommodate him and his work.

But now, it was too small.

As the days on the calendar piled up, so did his work.

Other than helping the boys with their practices, he had to give them individual tutoring which covered all and any aspects of being an idol. From training them to sing, to choreography, to modelling, to advertising, to checking their scores and to treat them to snacks or lunches or dinners.

Unconsciously, Corvus' hand slid down into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. It was almost empty.

The kids here sure knew how to eat.

He sighed and started to re-organize his workplace. He put the tutoring to one side and his work on the other. Speaking of which, he had a photo shoot in the morning next Sunday and another on Wednesday morning. He would have to find a way to get around the one on Wednesday. He had a tutoring session with Ren in the morning.

~.~.~.~

Corvus absent-mindedly fingered his bracelet while he was standing at the counter.

The dorm that Shining placed them in was huge and it did have a lot of facilities, but not enough stationary. He needed more files, paperclips and pens. With this in mind, Corvus had slipped on his boots and got out of the dorms.

"That would be 550 yen please." said the good natured lady behind the counter. She was wearing a bright smile on her face, like all the other attendants in the store.

Just as Corvus was about to hand over the money, something caught his eye.

It was a glossy covered magazine.

Normally, Corvus would've ignored all those magazines. They were mostly lies and gossip. But this one seemed to get his attention.

He grabbed the magazine and placed in on the counter. "I'll take this too, please."

The lady looked ta him weirdly, but said nothing. After all, it wasn't right to question your customers. "Of course sir." She punched in the price for the magazine. "650 yen please, sir."

~.~.~.~

Corvus emptied the contents of the paper bag onto his table.

There were the files, paperclips and pens he bought.

And the magazine.

Lightly, he picked it up. On the front and foremost cover, there was a full-page picture of Masato dressed in a Victorian era suit, complete with top hat and a silver pocket watch.

In short, Masato looked dashing.

Corvus stared at the picture.

He knew that it was wrong to love someone when they already had someone else, but Corvus couldn't help it.

After all, he was just looking, right? No harm done.

Except maybe, to his heart.

He stared at the picture until it was practically burned into his memory.

He still remembered that two weeks ago, Masato had asked Corvus to give him some tips on modelling for a photo shoot.

~.~.~.~

"Corvus?"

The way Masato pronounced his name always sent shivers down his spine. "Yes?"

"D-do you know any tips on doing a photo shoot?"

Corvus cocked his head to one side. "You mean modelling?"

"Yes." For some reason, Masato looked embarrassed to ask Corvus this question. His cheeks were cutely dusted pink and Corvus could feel his heart thump quicker.

It was one of their tutoring sessions. They were still located at the Moon Practice Room, both mentor and mentee content with it.

Corvus had proceeded to tell Masato all that he knew about modelling and even helped him to do so.

"Relax a bit. Your shoulders look tense." said Corvus as he looked around Masato, helping him find faults in his stance. "And tip your head a little."

Masato tried to do as he was told, but he didn't know how.

Corvus smiled. "Here, let me show you." He corrected Masato's military posture into a more relaxed one and tilted his head lightly at a 22 degree angle.

All the while, both mentor and mentee were highly aware of the contact.

All the while, Corvus couldn't calm his heart down.

~.~.~.~

Looks like all that training and tips really did pay off.

Corvus stared at the picture one more time before he slid it into his drawer.

He needed to start work and the picture of Masato was very... distracting.

Picking up the first score, Corvus almost fainted.

The writing was sloppy.

That was fine, Corvus could try to read it.

The paper was practically crumpled.

No matter, score paper gets crumpled easily after all.

There was a stain of... _something _green and brown at the corner of the paper.

Accidents happen.

What Corvus really couldn't stand was the language.

Everything was in Arabic!

He didn't even need to look at the name to know who wrote it.

Sighing sadly, he made his way out of his room, into the hallways to Cecil's room.

Ah, the ups and downs of individual tutoring.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading! Please don't forget to favourite and/review! **

**Afterthought: Does anyone know how to read Arabic?**


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Swimming humour

_Splash!_

The water on the surface of the pool rippled as Corvus jumped headfirst into it.

Propelling himself forward, Corvus managed to swim five more feet before he had to come up for air. Kicking his legs and swinging his arms, he swam to the edge of the pool.

He was racing with no one except himself.

Curling himself into a ball, he kicked the tiled wall and began to swim back to the starting blocks.

The waves he made echoed of the walls of the indoor pool, splashing at the edge of the pool, spilling onto the ground.

Hardly anyone was here on a Sunday morning, leaving the whole pool to Corvus.

_Faster._

Giving it his all, he pushed himself to the block,hitting his stopwatch. He tossed his swim cap onto the block and pulled down his goggles.

A minute and twelve seconds.

"Dammit." he cursed under his breath. He was slower than the last time. He couldn't lose to himself again.

A voice came from the doorway and it echoed off the walls. "Never thought you would curse, Corvus."

Corvus snapped his head up and his sharp silver eyes met with purplish-blue ones. "Masato?"

He heaved himself out of the pool, water dripping down his well-toned body, muscles ripping.

Masato swallowed as he took in the sight of Corvus and he could feel his chest clench again.

Shaking the excess water from his hair, Corvus looked Masato in the eye. "What are you doing here?"

Corvus was much taller than himself and Masato had to raise his head a little when he talked to him "I came to ask you about today's tutoring session." stated Masato blandly. In truth, he always looked forward to Sunday afternoons. His individual tutoring session with Corvus was held on that day.

"And you came here to find me?" Corvus was amused. The indoor pool they were in was quite a walk from their dorms.

"Yes."

"I would've been back soon. You didn't need to walk here."

"Actually, Kotobuki-senpai dropped me off in his car."

"Reiji?" Corvus could feel the slightest pang of envy boil up.

"He was the one who helped me ask Camus-senpai where you were as well."

"That's really helpful of him!" Corvus tried his best to cover up the sarcasm in his voice. "I'm sorry that you had to come all this way, Masato. I hope you didn't miss anything important."

"Not really." Masato shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't really have anything to do." That was a lie. He had plenty of unfinished scores left.

Corvus brightened up at the answer. "Then why don't you take a dip with me?"

Masato froze. "N-no, t-thank you." He was shaking his hands wildly.

"Come on, just a dip! Plus, you can take one of my spare swimsuits that I keep in my locker." Corvus scanned Masato. "Though it may be a bit big for you."

Masato shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, bu-but no."

"Eh? Why not, Masato?" Corvus had a hurt look on his face.

Masato was blushing up to his ears now and Corvus was worried if he was sick.

"Are you running a fever Masato?" As he reached out to touch Masato's forehead, he could hear the boy mumble something. "What?"

His lip quivered. "Ican'tswim." said Masato quickly, jumbling all his words into one.

Corvus tried to hold back his laughter. He put on his pokerface, but the laugh was slowly rising up. A rich sound filled the air, the sound of Corvus' laugh.

"D-don't laugh!" Masato was still red faced about it.

Corvus wiped a tear from his eyes. "Masato, you're just too cute!"

That time, Masato didn't know what he was blushing at. At the embarrassment that he can't swim at his age, or that Corvus called him cute.

After his laughing fit, Corvus looked at a very embarrassed bluenette. He leaned down to pick up his goggles and patted the blunette on the head. "Let's go eat! I'm starving!"

~.~.~.~

Masato kept his eyes away.

He used to blush when Ren teased him or _did stuff _with him. He still does, but less.

Now he finds himself blushing furiously at the sight of Corvus changing.

He had averted his eyes to stare at anywhere in the locker room, anywhere but at Corvus.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much to look at other than grey lockers, light blue paint that was dirtied and posters that were falling off from the walls.

The prospect of food managed to cheer him up after he told Corvus about his embarrassing secret.

He forgot that Corvus still needed to change.

What's the problem, they're both guys right?

Masato was gay.

Corvus had took a quick run in the shower and dried himself off.

Even though Masato had his eyes averted, he couldn't help but take sneaking glances at Corvus. His muscles ripped under his translucent skin. When he stretched, they flexed with him.

And not for the final time, Masato wondered how water could make someone look good.

Ren never swam, just jogged. So this, the whole swimming and changing thing, was a new sight for Masato.

He could feel his chest unclench itself when Corvus shouted "Done!" from the other side of the lockers.

* * *

**Thank you, minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review! Check out my other stories if you've found this interesting!**

**Afterthought: Masa, why don't you learn how to swim? Then you can strip too and the girls will get the chance to ogle both yours and Corvus' bodies!**


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – BL CD

"Sooooo that's what you've gotta do boyyyyyyssss..." said their boss, none other than the famous idol, Shining Saotome.

"Oi, boss. Why do we always have to do BL CDs?" Syo didn't want to do a BL CD with Natsuki again. The last time it happened, his butt was sore for a week.

"Bwahahahahahahaha!" the chubby man with sunglasses gave a long laugh which frightened all the members. "Verrrrryyyy good question, Missssttteeeerrrr Kurusu."

His glasses seemed to shine as he got more animated. "The last time you boys made BL CDs, the were sold out in a few hours and we had to call for morreeee!" He raised up his finger and pointed at all the boys. "This will be verrryyy good for the members of STARISH and QUARTET NIGHT!"

"QUARTET NIGHT?" asked Natsuki.

"That's right, Na-chan!~"

"Ringo-chan!" exclaimed Otoya.

The pink haired cross dresser continued. "This time, the BL CD will be based on crack pairings!"

"EH?!" said all of the boys in unison.

Ranmaru and Camus stood there dumbfounded, Reiji was laughing while Ai was expressionless as usual.

Cecil raised his hand. "Um... what's a BL CD?"

Camus shushed him and promised to tell him later.

Shining pushed up his glasses. "Of courrssee, that includes Misssstttttteeeeerrrr Corrrrvus!" His finger pointed at Corvus who could only stare.

Reiji was impressed. "Kara-chan is in this too!~"

"Wait, why me?" Corvus was an idol, but he didn't like doing things like making a BL CD. Especially not a CD where thousands of people can hear the sounds that you make in bed.

Ringo sensei butted in to stop Shining from saying anything useless. "That's because we really need another person, Kara-chan!~"

_Since when did 'Kara-chan' become my official nickname?_

Tokiya and Cecil snickered.

"There are seven members of STARISH and 4 members of QUARTET NIGHT. Meaning, that we only have eleven members on hand. We need to make it twelve!~"

"That'sssssss decided! You will alllllllll take part in making the BL CDsssssssssssss!" With a laugh and a ballerina twirl, Shining disappeared from their sights.

"That old man's still as crazy as ever." Ren smirked.

"Then, I will tell you who'll you'll be pairing up with!~ Remember boys, these are crack pairings, so brace yourselves!~"

Ringo sensei extracted a pice of paper which seemed to come out of thin air.

"Camus and Cecil-kun!~"

"Camus, what's a BL CD?"

"Later!" Camus was blushing.

"Ranmaru-kun and Oto-chan!~"

Ranmaru had a disbelieving face on.

Otoya just looked scared of Ranmaru. Tokiya patted the red head on the back. "It'll be fine." Otoya smiled at his stoic roommate.

"Next is Ai-kun an Syo-chan!~"

"Oh~ The two shoutas." muttered Ren.

Syo could still hear him. "Who ya callin' a shouta you asshole!"

"Ren-kun and Reiji-kun!~"

Syo was laughing his guts out. "Ha! Speak for yourself Ren!"

Reiji looped an arm with Ren's. "Let's do our best, Ren-chan!~"

Ren sweat dropped and looked to Masato but no reaction came from the bluenette.

"Na-chan and Tokiya-kun!~"

No one would've expected these two to be chosen together.

Syo started to feel a little fidgety. He was afraid that Natsuki's glasses might come off during the recording and he wouldn't be there to stop him. But the thought that worried him the most was that Natsuki liked to get _physical_.

That said and done, only two people were left.

"The last pair is Kara-chan and Masato-kun!~"

If they didn't expect Natsuki and Tokiya, then they definitely didn't expect Corvus and Masato.

Corvus could feel his face heat up.

_Making a BL CD?_

_With Masato?_

He was thrilled and embarrassed at the same time.

Masato kept calm but he could feel his chest clench. When he put his hand to it, he could feel the rapid thumps of his heart.

Ren looked at them from the corner of his eye and clicked his tongue.

"Oh, and one more thing boys!~"

Everyone turned their attention to Ringo sensei.

"Those whose names came first are the semes and the ones who came second are the ukes!~"

More shock.

The one who was shocked the most was probably Tokiya.

_I'm going to be an uke?!_

"Have fun!~"

"Camus, what's a seme and uke?"

"Later!"

* * *

**Arigatou ne, minna-san! Don't forget to favourite and/ review! Please check out my other stories if you think this one's good!**

**Afterthought: I might have to change the rating next chapter.**


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – I can't do this, can I?

"Congrrrrrraaaaaaatulationsssss boysssss!" Shining Saotome was in their faces, giving them two thumbs up. "A wonderrrrrfuuuul job on the BL CDssssssssss!"

The boys were gathered in the headmaster's office, a big and spacious room which looked like a brown-coloured oval office.

Most of them blushed and remained silent. Reiji laughed uneasily. Ranmaru coughed. Syo's eyes couldn't stop darting around. Tokiya hung his head low. Everyone was in one way or another, embarrassed by what they had done.

Ringo sensei clapped her hands. "Mm! The CDs were all sold out in a flash!~" She was extremely cheerful. "Especially Na-chan's and Tokiya-kun's CD!~"

All eyes turned to the platinum blonde and the usually stoic boy who was blushing.

Tokiya cleared his throat and mumbled a "Thank you." while Natsuki barely could hold up a smile.

~.~.~.~

The former A class and S class students sat down eating their breakfast in silence. They had went to Shining's office and were already late for breakfast.

No stomachs growled.

After hearing their boss congratulate them on those CDs, they didn't know if they could take a bite at all.

"Hey, has anyone seen Cecil?" Syo was somewhat recovering after gulping down some of his favourite lemon soda.

Ren looked around. "Now that you mention it, Cesshi's not here."

Everyone started to look around, as if they might find the Egyptian boy hiding in a bush or up in a tree.

"He went for his individual tutoring with Corvus." stated Masato calmly as he sipped his green tea.

Otoya looked at Masato curiously. "And how would you know, Masa?~"

"I memorized the timetable."

Ren saw this as a good opportunity to tease his boyfriend. "Speaking of Corvus," Ren leaned to Masato. "How did your BL CD go?"

Masato could feel the heat rush to his face and he almost choked on his tea.

"Oi, you meathead!" scolded Syo.

The BL CDs were a sensitive subject for everyone.

"What's wrong with it?" asked Ren in a lazy tone. "We're all guys, aren't we, Ochibi-chan?" He knew that he was irking Syo.

"Don't call me short!"

"O-c-h-i-b-i-c-h-a-n" Ren stressed each of the letters.

Syo got up and banged the table, making it shake and some of the liquid in the cups spill over the edge.

Tokiya was having enough of this. "Enough! Both of you!"

Tokiya was rarely mad. Unless they did something big to make him angry.

Next to him, Otoya looked frightened by his roommate's actions.

Standing up abruptly, Masato muttered an "Excuse me." before leaving the rest on their own.

"Great! Look what you did, you meathead!" huffed Syo.

"What _I_ did? Like you didn't have anything to do with this, Ochibi!" Ren jabbed a finger towards Syo.

"Ren, stop." Natsuki didn't like to see his friends fighting. He did not like to see his Syo-chan being bullied either.

"Don't call me short!"

"ENOUGH!" roared Tokiya. "Stop this childish nonsense!'

Otoya could see the veins on Tokiya's forehead pop. He wriggled further down into his seat.

No one said anything after, leaving an untouched melon bread on the table.

~.~.~.~

The writing on the rice paper was horrible.

It looked more like a worm than a piece of calligraphy.

Sighing in frustration, Masato put his beloved brush down and crumpled his work. He proceeded to get up and throw it in the waste basket.

He gingerly lowered himself onto his futon and laid his head on the pillow.

_Sleep_ he told himself even if it was morning. Even if the sun had just woken up.

_Sleep and try to forget everything._

~.~.~.~

"I can't do this, Masato." said Corvus.

They were in a soundproof recording room and Masato had already hit the record button. There was no way that Corvus was going to chicken out now.

"Yes, you can." he stated simply.

"Masato, no."

"Look, Corvus, just do it okay. Please." There was exasperation in his voice.

"F-fine."

There were kissing sounds emitted from Masato and Corvus, light and soft at first...

"Masato..."

...but it turned into slurping.

"Mmf...Corvus..."

Listeners could tell that they were having a heated kiss.

The slurping stopped only when the two males were panting for air.

"Haa... Go on, Corvus..."

There was the sound of clothes rustling onto the floor.

The slurping sounds returned and turned into licking. "Mm~..."

"You'll have to pardon me, Masato." Corvus sounded more confident now.

"Aah..., ah.."

The licking continued.

"W-wait, Corvus! N-not down there!"

The unbuckling of a belt, the pull of a zip, the rustle of clothes.

"I told you..."

A lick.

"Aah!"

"... that you'll have to pardon me." His voice was low, seductive.

Masato let out a soft mewl.

Another lick. Three licks. Four.

"Aah! C-corvus... aah! S-stop!"

"Weren't you the one who asked me to do this in the first place?"

"B-but I...aah!"

The licking now turned into sucking.

Corvus was giving Masato a blowjob.

Corvus hummed appreciatively. "You taste good, Masato."

Masato wriggled in the sheets. "Nngh!..Aaah..."

"And the sounds you make are just oh-so-tempting."

"Haa,... C-cor...aah,...-vus..."

"Don't buck your hips now." The slurping just got louder and louder.

"Aah!.. aah!' Masato's voice was getting shaky.

"Corvus, ...I-I'm going to cum!"

With a 'pop' sound, the slurping stopped, indicating that Corvus had stopped whatever he was doing.

"Not so fast, Masato."

The said male let out a whine at the loss of friction.

The kissing sounds resumed, all that slurping and panting.

"Ah!"

"Relax, Masato."

"What are you doing, Corvus?"

Something wet and slimy sliding in and out.

"Ah! Don't put your fingers in there!"

"Just sit back and relax." Corvus lowered his voice. "I'm going to make you feel _real_ good."

"What are you...?" But before Masato could question him, he let out a sharp cry of pain. "AAH!"

"Too...tight..."

"What the hell are you doing?!" the bluenette still had the energy to fight back, but one could hear the tears in his voice.

Corvus hushed him. "Trust me."

Squish. Schlop. These were mostly the sounds that were made as Corvus thrusted himself into Masato.

"Aaah!~ Go faster, Corvus! Faster!"

The male did as he was told, the sounds going faster and louder.

"Corvus!"

"Masato.."

A weird squelch was heard as they both found their release.

There were heavy pants.

"Want to do that again, Masato?"

"You wish!"

~.~.~.~

Masato could feel the heat go up to his face and buried himself deeper into the pillow.

It's not like they did any of the above, but still...

It sounded very, very embarrassing.

He touched his lips. The only thing they did do, was kiss.

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review! And do check out my other stories as well!**

**Afterthought: This chapter was a bit lame, so I'm planning a scene where I can make all of this hotter.**


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – Voice acting stinks

Corvus broke the surface of the pool water, coming up for air.

He pulled off his swim cap and goggles, shaking all the excess water from his hair.

84 seconds.

He was faster than the last time he came here, but still not fast enough to beat his all-time record.

Looking up to the starting block, he was reminded of the day Masato came to look for him.

_Masato..._

~.~.~.~

"Well, that was... interesting." finished Corvus lamely.

He and Masato had just finished recording their BL CD. They were standing outside the studio.

The bluenette only nodded in response.

Silence.

A heavy silence.

Corvus cleared his throat. "So,..."

He couldn't help it. He was blushing like crazy.

Masato kept his head down, not wanting to look at Corvus in the slightest.

_What made me do it? _

He really did kiss Corvus during the recording. Lip to lip. Tongue with tongue.

Masato tried to hide his red face as best as he could with the bangs of his hair.

He could tell himself that kissing Corvus was all part of the job, but there was a small part of him, a tiny part in his clenching chest that told him this was not the case.

That told him it was something else entirely.

"Um, Masato?" Masato didn't look to good from where Corvus was standing. "Are you okay?"

Hastily, Masato gave a short bow to Corvus before dashing off to his own room before the taller male could say anything.

~.~.~.~

The water lapped at his feet.

_Is Masato mad at me?_

_But then, why did he kiss me?_

_And more importantly, why did I kiss back?_

_Was this all really just for the recording?_

_Or is it something else on his side?_

_Am I just selfishly thinking these questions over?_

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became.

Even the water couldn't help him with his questions this time.

It was something he needed to figure out on his own.

Voice acting stinks.

Corvus checked his watch.

It was already evening. He needed to get back and finish his work soon, the deadline was approaching.

After he showered and changed, he was back on the streets of Tokyo.

The lights from the buildings and signboards and shops blinded him.

People could wear sunglasses in Tokyo at night.

The sky was painted several hues of orange, purple and red, making the city look so magical underneath the golden light.

Hordes and hordes of people were bustling home, back from a hard day's work.

_Home._

A sense of nostalgia washed over him as he wondered if he could return home.

Looking towards the direction of the dorms, Corvus made his way into the crowd and headed back.

* * *

**Thank you, minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review! Oh, and check out my other storied too, if you deem this interesting.**

**Afterthought: Yeah, 16th chapter is up, but I don't feel like writing all the while. I'm running out of juice. **

**Fear not though, for I will refill my food tank and post more chapters!**


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – An apology

Corvus twirled his pencil around and around.

The score beneath him was devoid of words, a blank page.

Usually, he would be able to write on and on like there was no tomorrow.

But this wasn't his usual self.

The scenery outside his window was extremely decent, with its wide expanse of green grass and fluffy white clouds sailing in the blue sky.

Blue was Masato's favourite colour.

It was also the colour of his soft hair, one of the hues of his eyes.

Corvus tossed his pencil onto the table and laid back in his chair.

All he could see and imagine on the walls was Masato.

Masato eating his melon bread.

Masato writing up his scores.

Masato taking notes diligently.

Masato modelling.

Masato playing the piano with those long pianist's fingers of his.

Masato singing in his calming, soothing voice.

The ceiling wasn't friendly to him today either.

Masato's skin.

Masato's hair.

Masato's eyes.

Masato's smile.

Masato's lips.

_Oh, crap._

Corvus could feel his member start to get hard once his mind floated to the recording room. To the time when they made their BL CD.

Quickly, he steered his thoughts somewhere else. Somewhere safe.

The fact didn't escape him that today was a Sunday, the day that he had to give Masato his individual tutoring.

But how was he going to face the bluenette?

Pretend everything never happened?

Give him a lame excuse?

Apologize?

_Apologize sounds good._

Yes, he would have to apologize. After all, he was the elder one here and he should've been more responsible.

A soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

~.~.~.~

_I can do this._

His chest was clenching tightly and there were butterflies in his stomach.

_I can do this._

Masato stood outside Corvus' room, wanting to ask him about today's tutoring session, but also to apologize for his behaviour.

He shouldn't have dragged Corvus into that kiss.

He should've stopped the recording then.

But he was too impulsive. He wanted it done quickly.

He noticed that his hand was trembling slightly.

Taking deep breaths, Masato tried to calm himself down.

_It's just apologizing!_ He scolded himself. _How hard can it be?_

He knocked hesitantly on the wooden door. A soft knock.

Some part of him wished that Corvus wasn't here. That he was somewhere else like at the pool, so he wouldn't have to face him.

"Come in."

Masato dreaded this moment.

~.~.~.~

"Masato?" Corvus spun in his swivel chair. He noticed the younger boy's unease.

Putting a smile on his face like usual. "What can I help you with?" He tried to keep his voice light, casual.

His heart was betraying him.

"Um,.. I came to ask about the tutoring session."

Corvus was a little taken aback by the bluntness in which Masato spoke in but he guessed he had anticipated this to happen.

"Ah, sure. Is the usual time alright with you, Masato?" He shouldn't be using Masato's name so casually.

The bluenette nodded. "Yes, thank you."

Masato couldn't look Corvus in the eye. If he did, he would just be reminded of the heated kiss all over again.

"That's all I wanted to ask, s-so..."

"Masato."

Masato met with a pair of sharp silver eyes. "

"I'm sorry." said the black haired male as sincerely as he could.

Masato was stunned. Why was Corvus apologizing to him?

"Corvus, you don't have to..."

"I do." his voice was firm, resolute. Taking off his glasses, Corvus walked up to face Masato.

For some reason, his chest had begun to clench tighter and Masato was breathing quicker than usual.

"Masato, I am very sorry for the things that I have done, and I hope you can forgive me."

"...why?"

"I was supposed to have taken responsibility. Yet I didn't."

"But I was the one who went overboard." He could feel the heat rising up to his cheeks.

Corvus shook his head. "You didn't really."

A heavy silence descended upon them, like the time they stood outside the studio.

"I can't pretend it never happened, but will you forgive me, Masato?"

The said boy muttered something under his breath. "Idiot."

"Sorry?"

"You did nothing wrong anyway."

Taking his hand in his own, Corvus gave it a shake. "Truce?"

The bluenette smirked. "Truce."

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review! And don't forget to check out my other storied if you have the time to spare!**

**Afterthought: Ack, needed to end the awkwardness between them so badly so we can get on to the hot sex scenes. **


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – Comparison

Masato unlocked the door to his shared room with a click. The door creaked on its hinges, pleading to be oiled.

Masato flicked on the light and checked the time on the clock. He had came back later than expected.

After his individual tutoring with Corvus, he was persuaded to go with his mentor for tea.

Again.

~.~.~.~

Corvus paid for their meals at the counter.

They sat in the quaint little shop they now frequented.

Masato had his melon bread and tea while Corvus got himself a scone with raspberry jam and a bottle of apple juice.

"Won't you run out of money?" Masato had noticed that Corvus treated all of his mentees to meals, never once letting the younger ones pay for their own food.

Corvus let out a rich laugh. "I think I can earn it back somehow."

They sat at the corner table, the place they were always seated at when they came here.

A long talk followed, mostly about the little thing. The weather, the news.

Slowly, the conversation turned a bit more serious with Masato telling Corvus about his family and his reason for enrolling into Saotome Academy in the first place.

"I never thought that I would end up with a group of people and become STARISH." Masato was reminiscent.

"Fate is a funny thing, huh?" Corvus could tell from first hand experience.

Masato laughed. It seemed like the most carefree thing in the world. "And you know what it's like?"

"Of course I do."

"Tell me."

Corvus had to think for a while before answering Masato. "Well, I never thought that I would fall in love." There was a certain wistfulness to his voice.

"You've never thought about it?" Masato found that hard to believe. After all, with his looks and personality, Masato was sure that Corvus attracted a lot of attention.

Corvus shook his head. "Nope. I am a crow after all."

"Who's the lucky girl?" Masato knew it was rude to pry, but he deemed it okay with Corvus. They were like brothers.

He felt a clench. If they were like brothers, then why did Masato feel like strangling the girl who caught Corvus' heart?

Corvus smiled broadly. "You know that person, Masato." He took a sip of his juice. "You know this person well indeed." Corvus didn't need Masato to find out that the person he fell for was none other than Masato himself.

The bluenette put on his thinking cap. "Haruka?" Masato knew that almost everyone fell for their timid, golden-eyed composer.

Corvus shook his head. "Nope."

Masato furrowed his brow. "Tomochika?"

"Still no."

His frown went deeper. Corvus had mentioned that it was someone he knew very well. But the only two girls he knew very well were Haruka and Tomochika.

He felt a finger touch his forehead.

"Don't frown so much, Masato. You'll look like an old man sooner."

His chest was clenching and unclenching itself. His heart was beating faster.

And this was all caused by a touch?

"That's just a myth." said Masato as he quickly turned away. He could feel the heat starting to gather at the tips of his ears.

Corvus smiled and laughed. "Cute."

Masato munched on his bread.

~.~.~.~

He took a look at the word he had written on the rice paper.

'Comparison'.

In a way, it was true. Masato often compared Ren with Corvus.

For what reason, he did not know.

Maybe it's because Corvus is the opposite of Ren.

Where Ren was irresponsible, Corvus was the most responsible person (other than himself) that he knew.

Ren was undependable at best, but one could depend on Corvus completely and he'd have your back.

Ren seemed so free, but Corvus seemed to be chained down by something.

It hit Masato.

_'Please save me too'_

That was the last sentence that Corvus sang in his debut song, 'A Requiem of Crows'.

_Save him from what?_

It was 10 pm and Ren wasn't back yet.

And for a fleeting moment, Masato wondered what it would have been like if he wasn't dating Ren, but Corvus instead.

* * *

**Thank you, dear readers! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review! Check out my other stories if you have the time too!**

**Afterthought: Masato, he's talking about you! Get that into your head already!**


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – Knee deep in frustrations

The chilly night breeze blew into the room.

Corvus lazily got up from his chair and closed the windows, sealing the cold night wind outside.

He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting dizzy from working until so late at night.

3 am.

Or should he say, morning.

The work on his table didn't seem to decrease at all. In fact, it seemed that the more work he did, the more faults had found and the more he had to do.

He slumped back into his chair with a sigh. It was already Monday morning and he just felt so sleepy.

Sleepy and frustrated.

He already had his work cut out for him, his own and the individual tutoring.

And Masato was another piece of work.

An artful piece of work, he must say.

He heaved another sigh.

Corvus couldn't believe that he had told Masato he was in love. When pried for answers, he couldn't give any.

He couldn't just tell Masato that he loved him.

Could he?

Masato already has someone he loves, and the person doesn't seem so bad.

In reality, Corvus had always wanted to be more like Ren.

He looked so free, not chained down by anything.

Flying free like a grus*.

As beautiful as a pavo*.

But he was a corvus.

He was a crow.

A crow is detested wherever it goes.

Hated by everyone.

That's why it lives in solitude.

That's why it has to be alone.

Forever alone.

And no one can save it.

Because no one wants to save it.

Tossing his arm over his eyes, Corvus leaned back in his chair.

"I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

~.~.~.~

Masato's eyelids fluttered open.

The moonlight was shining in through the window brightly. The clock showed 3:10 am.

Ren wasn't back yet. There wasn't anyone in his bed, nor could he hear the sound of the shower running.

On the other side of the room, Ranmaru was sleeping soundly, one arm hanging from the bed, mouth open.

Masato let out a soft sigh and turned over in his futon.

Nowadays, more than ever, he felt frustrated with Ren.

Ren makes him worry, makes him angry, makes him feel like a tool to be used.

He tightened his fist.

He doesn't want to feel like that. He wants to go back to when they started going out. Those brighter days. Better days.

Was that what they called the 'honeymoon period'?

The period when you thought that every thing you did, as long as you did it together, was right?

The period when you felt happiest in a relationship?

The period in your relationship before everything comes sliding down?

Masato pulled the covers around him tighter.

He was so cold.

~.~.~.~

Silently, Masato tip-toed out of this room, careful not to wake his senpai form his dream.

He thanked his cotton tabis* for muffling his footsteps.

Inching the door open, Masato slipped into the darkness of the hallways before slowly closing it again.

Moonlight flooded in, illuminating his path to the kitchen.

He was dying for a glass of water.

Plus, he wanted to check if Ren was drunk and out cold on the floor.

Padding his way down the hallway and stairs, Masato could hear the soft clink of a glass and a few bangs of metal coming form the kitchen.

Making a final turn, he was surprised to see Corvus standing over a boiling pot.

Deciding to leave the taller male alone in his thoughts for a while, Masato took a good stare at Corvus.

He was dressed in a loose T-shirt with faded colours and a pair of baggy shorts. He looked like he didn't get a wink of sleep.

As his slippers shuffled on the marble floor, Corvus could feel someone staring at him. He turned and found his breath catch in his throat. "Masato?"

The silhouette walked out of the shadows and into the moonlight. Dressed in a yukata, Masato was leaving his neck and some of his leg exposed.

Corvus swallowed down hard. "Can't sleep?"

Masato shook his head.

"Me neither."

"What are you doing?"

Corvus looked down to the pot. After taking in the sight of Masato, he had almost forgotten what he was doing in the kitchen in the first place. "Ah, I'm warming up some milk."

Masato really didn't like milk, and Corvus knew that so he didn't offer Masato any.

Walking over to the sink, Masato poured himself a glass of clear water. He was quite aware of the fact that Corvus was eyeing him every few seconds and he was doing the same.

"I'm actually feeling frustrated." He didn't know why he had to admit that to Corvus out of the blue. It was in the wee hours of the morning. He could've picked a better time to tell him, but Masato felt that he would suffocate if he didn't tell someone about his frustrations.

"What's the matter?" Corvus didn't expect something like this. It sounded like the start of a huge confession.

And just like that, Masato told Corvus everything. About his relationship with Ren, about how rocky it was, about his doubts, about his fears.

All the while Masato just told his side of the story and Corvus listened intently.

Masato finished the last drop of water. "Sorry to tell you about all that."

Corvus looked at the counter where Masato was leaning on. Slowly, he turned his head to the bluenette. "I'm glad that you chose to tell me, Masato."

That was weird. No one would be glad to listen to other people's problems, would there? But Masato was too tired to think about those things. "I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

The words stung. He knew it, because he had said it. "No, Masato." said Corvus in the softest voice he could manage. "You're not."

Masato smiled. "Thank you, Corvus." With that, the bluenette placed a chaste peck on Corvus' cheek before going back up to his room.

The black haired male could only stand there in surprise and shock. It wasn't until a good amount of time later that his mind registered what had happened.

He touched his cheek.

_I was kissed by Masato?_

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san!**

**Here are just some notes:**

***Grus = Crane**

***Pavo = Peacock**

***Tabi = Sock**

**Afterthought: Did the milk help or did Masato help, Corvus?**


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – Homeward bound

"Corvus left?~" Otoya still could not believe it. Corvus had left them without a word.

Camus nodded. "He wanted to head back home for a week or so."

"So that's why I haven't seen him around." said a platinum blond with green eyes.

"His train left at 5:15 am this morning." stated Ai calmly.

Ranmaru took a long drag of his morning coffee. Sometimes, coffee was the only thing that managed to bring him back to the world of the living.

"Good morning, everyone." Cecil came down the stairs with a Ren and Syo in tow.

Syo yawned, opening his mouth wide. "Dammit, I feel so tired." _This is Natsuki's fault._He cursed his best friend in his mind. _If it wasn't for his brilliant idea to 'have some fun', I would be fine today!_

"Syo-chan!~" The tall male lunged at his short counterpart, almost causing the both of them to fall form the lack of balance.

Syo wriggled in his arms, struggling to get away. "Get off me, Natsuki!"

"Ne, wasn't last night fun, Syo-ch-"

Syo clamped his hands over Natsuki's mouth, preventing him from telling the others what happened last night. "Shut up, Natsuki!" Syo had blushed a bright red.

"Oh?~ What _did_ Natsuki do with Ochibi-chan last night?" Ren had on a playful smirk.

If it was possible, the azure eyed boy blushed redder and brighter. "None of your fucking business you meathead!"

He tried to hit the playboy, but was still caught in Natsuki's strong grasp. "Natsuki, let go!"

Ranmaru frowned. "Hey! Stop making a ruckus first thing in the morning!" He couldn't even enjoy a cup of coffee in peace.

His warning, however, fell on deaf ears. The three were still bickering loudly.

"Never mind Ran-ran!~ Cheer up!~" Reiji patted Ranmaru on the back. He sort of pitied his silver haired teammate. Ranmaru never was a sociable person.

"Corvus has gone home?" Looks like Cecil had just got the news form Otoya.

Otoya nodded. "But don't you think it's weird? He left without saying anything to us!" Otoya treated Corvus as an older brother figure.

"His train was leaving at 5:15 am, Otoya. He wouldn't have woken us all up just to bid goodbye." Tokiya sometimes wondered how dense Otoya is.

"But still!" the red head was beginning to whine.

Masato leaned himself against the counter, listening to the other's talks.

Corvus had left for home.

Without telling them anything.

Masato bit his lip. His thoughts floated to the night he found Corvus in the kitchen. It had only happened a few nights ago.

The pressure on his lip increased. Was Corvus mad at him for kissing him? He could feel his chest clench and his heart thump. The heat was getting to his ears.

Sapphire eyes glided to Masato. There was something off about Masato, something Ren couldn't put his finger on. But he knew that it had something to do with their new tutor, Corvus.

Camus was punching some numbers into his phone violently.

"Who're you callin', Myu-chan?~" Reiji was afraid the keypad would break under the pressure of Camus' fingers.

Camus punched the 'dial' button and put the phone to his ear. "Calling Corvus to check in with him." His tone was grim. Were they really idiots for not knowing how to call the male who set out home?

~.~.~.~

"...ir? Sir?"

Corvus was pulled back to reality. He looked up from his seat to find himself face-to-face with a pretty young woman.

"Would you like a bento?" She offered him a kind smile and looked at him through her big brown eyes.

Corvus shook his head weakly. "No, thank you."

The young woman pushed the cart away, asking the next passenger on the train if he or she would like to buy a bento.

Casting his luggage off to one side, Corvus slumped down into his less-than-comfortable seat and perched his chin on his hand, looking out the window.

The train had departed from the station ten minutes ago and he was now seeing tall buildings and skyscrapers melt into the scenery. He was leaving Tokyo, heading home.

Most of the passengers on the train were sound asleep, trying to catch a few more winks before they reached their final destination. Others were reading or listening to music.

Extracting his headphones and ipod from the pocket of his knapsack, Corvus felt guilty that he didn't say anything to the boys back in Tokyo before he headed on the train. Looking at their sleeping faces, he didn't want to wake them up.

He plugged in his headphones and clicked the first song on his playlist without looking at it. The machine booted up, playing a familiar tune which made Corvus' heart catch in his throat.

Still disbelieving it, he checked his playlist. The name of the song was 'Sanctuary', sung by Hijirikawa Masato.

Corvus did a facepalm. Out of all the songs he could've listened to, the first song that came on was this. Rubbing his cheek, he could still feel the ghost of Masato's lips.

_What am I doing?_ He had left the dorms so that he could go back home and cool off, but the thought of Masato was still in his mind.

~.~.~.~

"_The next stop is Shiribeshi. Passengers who are stopping there please get ready to get off the train. Please remember to take your belongings. The next stop is Shiribeshi. Passengers who are..." _The automated voice announced the same lines over and over through the speakers.

Grabbing his luggage which only consisted of his knapsack and an oversized duffel bag. He was the only passenger to get off the train.

The electric locomotive whizzed pass him. Leaving him behind.

_I'm home._

Shiribeshi is a subprefecture of Hokkaido, just after Oshima and squeezed between Iburi and Ishikari. It consists of 1 city, 13 towns and a total of 6 villages. Half of Shiribeshi is surrounded by water, making it like an island.

As he walked out of the station, Corvus breathed in the salty smell of the sea. It felt good and nostalgic. Growing up here, he used to swim in the sea all the time.

He was a boy then, growing up with a single mother who sold fried squid and made kimonos to get them by. He spent his younger days lying in the sun and swimming. Surprisingly, he never got tanned. He would help his mother sell the fried squid and watch her make kimonos which were no longer high in demand.

They did not make a lot of money, just enough to get by. Yet, they were content.

An English man made his way into their small village named Akaigawa in the Yoichi district. Took a liking to his mother and got married.

After that, he was shipped off to London, coming back here only once or twice each year.

Looking at his home now, he felt thrilled and sad. His mother had died in a foreign land, not in her hometown. Not buried here either. Corvus felt that he cheated his mother. Why was he able to come back, but she wasn't? She loved the place more than he did.

Corvus felt his phone vibrate in the pocket of his jeans. "Hello?" A brief pause. "Camus?"

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review!**

**Afterthought: Might wanna go look up Shiribeshi on Wikipedia if you don't know about it.**

**Thank you Tokiittoki again for your reviews!**

**-Thank you for the correction, I'll be sure not to make the same mistake again!**

**-I definitely ship Natsuki and Syo, but I don't know about Tokiya and Otoya, though maybe I will -winks-**


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 – Absence makes the heart grow fonder

It's been a week already.

Still no sign of Corvus. He still hasn't gotten back form his trip.

Masato wonders if the black haired male is ever coming back. He's missed one session of individual tutoring already.

The bluenet placed his fingers on the piano keys, black and white, resting them there. No tune was coming out, even though the score was right in front of him.

Sitting in the Moon Practice Room with the grand piano all to himself felt awkward at best, since Corvus was usually here to listen to him play.

_Your song sounds wonderful, Masato!_

_I wish I could play like that!_

_The tune is very heart-warming!_

With his fingers still placed on the keys, Masato felt his chest clench. A painful tightness. Something inside of him. Or was it nothing?

Hollow.

That's how he felt at the moment. He felt hollow, like nothing was in his body anymore. No organs, no blood, no bones. Just a dizzying hollowness like a black hole.

~.~.~.~

It's been a week already.

Corvus didn't want to leave. This place was a contradiction to the place he's lived in until now. Unlike the grimy London or the bustling streets of Tokyo, Shiribeshi was quiet, serene and calming.

His normally overworked mind felt at ease here, relaxed here, listening to the sounds of waves crash against the shore, the rustling of leaves in the soft breeze, the cries of the cicadas.

It felt good.

It felt like home.

Yet wherever he went, whatever he did, he was reminded of a certain bluenet back in Tokyo.

Hijirikawa Masato was haunting him. He was haunting his mind, body and soul.

A turn and Masato was there. A look, a glance, a heartbeat.

Corvus was suffocating. Masato's ghost was suffocating.

"A one-way ticket to Tokyo please."

The clerk at the counter punched in the necessary keys. A ticket came sliding out of the machine. It was blue, Masato's colour.

After paying the clerk, Corvus grabbed his duffel bag and was about to head off. "Just make sure you come to visit us again, Chika." said the gruff clerk.

Corvus smiled. "I definitely will!"

Getting onto the train, Corvus put his luggage aside and looked out the window, this time with more vigour and anticipation. Anticipation to meet Masato again.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

~.~.~.~

"Okaa-san! Okaa-san!" a young boy with a mane of black hair and sharp silver eyes ran up to the wooden porch of a creaky house, a giant fish in hand.

Making a turn, the boy jumped up the steps, excitement pounding in his veins. He was going to show his mother how good he was at catching fish with only a fishing line and a hook.

"Ara, Chika!" A pretty lady with raven hair and skin as white as snow came out to the porch. She had a pair of coal-black eyes. A kind pair of eyes.

"Look, Okaa-san! I caught a fish all by myself!" The young boy proudly held up his prize by the tail.

The lady smiled a broad smile and patted her son on the head. "That's a large fish you got there!" Taking the fish from her son, she prodded it. "This will make a great dish for tonight!" She rubbed her son's head. "Arigatou ne, Chika!"

Chika couldn't help but smile and laugh with joy.

~.~.~.~

Corvus awoke from his dream with a start. It's been a while since he dreamt of his mother, Chizuru.

Corvus rubbed his eyes from sleep and checked the time. He still had an hour or so before his ride would reach Tokyo.

The view outside was dark and pitch-black. Night had fallen upon them, painting the world in darkness. The passengers on board were mostly asleep, save for a few night-owls who were still on their laptops.

Corvus still remembered the day when an English gentleman came and whisked his mother's heart away. At first, Corvus was too amazed by him and admired him. But that all changed when they relocated to London.

His new father was only keeping his beloved mother as a mistress. He had another wife and another son somewhere else in London. The worst part was, Corvus only found out after his mother had died.

He was thirteen when his mother passed away. She died due to a certain illness which even the doctors today couldn't pinpoint what it was. His mother, the only parent he had ever knew was dead and gone.

His new father took him in, but asked him to pick a new name. An English name. Corvus had thought it weird, and it was. Digging the truth out from his father, he realized what a waste his mother's two years had been in London.

Wrath was the only thing that overcame him at the time as he tried to lunge for his father but were held back by bodyguards.

He chose the name 'Corvus' which meant crow in Latin, abandoning his given Japanese name, Chika.

_You look so much like me Chika! But do you know, your eyes are like your father's! _That's what his mother had always told him. His silver eyes came from his real father, the father he does not know.

Looking out the window into the blackness, he remembered vowing to himself that he would live in solitude as to not face tragedy in relationships.

But fate is a funny thing.

Finding himself back in Japan after all those years, he fell in love with a person he had never thought he would.

~.~.~.~

"It's raining."

The rain was coming down hard, the pitter-patters on the roof were heard clearly by the inhabitants of the house, sounding like a band of drums. Bright purple bolts of lightning flashed across the sky in the distance and thunder boomed loudly, shaking the rooms.

A sudden _thud_ alarmed them all. The wind had picked up and scattered leaves were blown wildly like in a tornado.

"I'll go check out what happened." said Tokiya while pulling on his shoes.

Grabbing Tokiya by the arm to wait, was Syo. "I'm going too."

Masato tagged along silently.

They needed to make sure what had happened outside and see if anyone got hurt.

Tokiya placed his hand on the handle of the door and yanked it open.

"Aaaaah!" screamed the azure-eyed male.

Natsuki immediately ran to the front door where he let out a blood-curdling scream too. "DEMON!"

Cecil and Ren jumped and raced to the door, fearing that danger was upon them.

At the front steps of the door, there stood a figure clad in black. It had long hair and it was drenched in the rain. Its shoulders were slumped forward, limbs hanging by his side. There was the red of blood on its ghostly pale hands. The rain was washing the blood down, dripping it onto the porch.

Masato stood there wide-eyed. "C-corvus?" he muttered cautiously.

Raising up a hand, the 'demon' brushed back his hair to reveal sharp silver eyes. "Yo." he said with a smile.

"CORVUS?!" said the males in unison.

The said male smirked playfully. "It's good to be back."

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san!**

**Afterthought: wanted to show you all Corvus' history sometime. No time would've been better than this!**


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 – Welcome back, sort of

Corvus stared hard and long at his workplace.

Papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, a package, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, a pendrive, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, a notebook, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, mail, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, papers, and what do you know, papers.

Gone for a week and the various documents, contracts and scrap heaps of papers surrounded him. He was getting tired of looking at the fibre-pressed element from the tree.

He heaved a heavy and tired sigh. How was he going to clear this mess? Grabbing a piece of scrap paper (paper again), Corvus went through the pile and diligently made a list of the things he would need to do upon getting back.

~.~.~.~

"Ouch." said Corvus as he got his wound. The ointment stung. He could've easily treated it himself, but Masato and the rest weren't letting him off.

The bluenet made him wash his wound to clean it of any bacteria and rubbed ointment onto it. Taking a white bandage, he wrapped the giant gash in Corvus' arm carefully and firmly.

Otoya and Nanami who were queasy around blood hid from the sight. Natsuki was still recovering from the sight of 'demon' Corvus.

"How the hell did you get that scar?" Syo was puzzled. Corvus wasn't that clumsy.

Ren stared at it. "Looks like you got bitten by something big."

"Actually, it looks like you got slashed by a knife." said the stoic boy Tokiya.

"It wasn't that exciting." Corvus winced from the pain. "I got scratched by the branch of a tree is all." Corvus laughed.

The others stood there looking at him pointedly, obviously not buying his story. A branch from a tree? Who was he kidding?

"Okay, okay." Corvus said and raised his hands up in an act of defence which made the pain in his arm shoot up. "I was rescuing a damsel in distress."

More stares. This story was harder to believe than the first one. A damsel in distress? Was this the 17th century? Or was it an older era?

"How stupid do you take us for, Corvus?" Syo's voice was getting deadly.

"I'm serious! I'm serious!"

"Oh~ Then do you mind explaining it?"

"I was heading back in the downpour when I saw some gangly man try to rape a girl. So, I intervened and managed to push the girl away and land a clean blow on him. He fell to ground and I used the chance to get the girl to run away. He had gotten back up and tried to deal the same blow to me and I dodged, but what I didn't notice was that he had a blade, a pocket knife probably, in his other hand and my arm got sliced in the process. As I recoiled, the bugger managed to get away."

More disbelieving stares.

"I'm serious!" said Corvus.

Tokiya rubbed his chin. "And you just happened to be there."

"Yep."

"Just in time to save the girl." continued Syo.

"Yep."

Sapphire eyes stared. "And your arm got sliced open."

"Yep."

"And you didn't treat it until you got back." said a bluenet.

"Yep."

Corvus could tell he was being at looked at stupidly. They didn't believe him, even though he was telling the truth!

"But it's the truth!"

Nope, they weren't convinced.

"You idiot." sighed Masato as he made a knot in the bandage. "Be more careful while you're out."

Syo smiled. "Yeah, you're not the only hero here!"

"You could've gotten it treated before you came back." stated Tokiya.

Ren clicked his tongue. "At least it doesn't look like you've suffered blood loss."

~.~.~.~

His arm was still burning from the gash of the wound, but mostly from Masato's touch. The way his fingers moved carefully and gently across his skin, his long pianist's fingers which were deft and light.

Work couldn't wait, no matter how painful his arm felt now. Moving it slowly and cautiously, he began to write. It hurt like hell. Of all the places that he had to get cut, it was his right arm. Why couldn't it be his left?

Corvus pushed on. His goal was to finish at least two quarters of it before sunrise. It was only 10 pm, he'll get it done. He had to get it done. Corvus couldn't afford to waste more time doing his work. On holiday, he had already though of a new song, a song that will reach into a certain someone's heart.

~.~.~.~

"Hey Masato, is something wrong?"

Masato shook out of his thoughts. Ren was standing there, darts in hand, ready to throw them at the dartboard. Those sapphire eyes...

"Pardon?" he was still in a faze.

Ren clicked his tongue. "I asked if something was wrong. Your face looks kinda pale."

Masato turned his head away. "It's nothing." Adding "Thank you for your concern" for safety measures.

Something was bothering the bluenet. He kept on imagining that scene, the scene where Corvus tried to help some girl and got slashed in the process.

What if the blade had gone higher?

What if Corvus wasn't able to dodge it?

What if the rapist was stronger?

What if the whole thing was a set up?

What if the blade had hit its intended mark?

What if Corvus had died?

He didn't want to think about that last part, but he couldn't get his mind off it.

_What if Corvus had died?_

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san for reading! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review!**

**Thank you Tokittoki for your constant reviews! They've been giving me lots of support!**

**-I wanted to describe Shiribeshi a little more, because not everyone would google it. Telling you about the number of towns and villages, you get the feel that Corvus wasn't living in a very well-to-do place.**

**-I'm pretty bad at timelines and I wanted to take the readers on a ride. The ride would be to jump from this time to the past or the future. Sorry for making you dizzy!**

**-Not at all! Your reviews are the things that keep me going! Also, I am very grateful for your advice!**


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – Midnight drink

Masato creeped out of his room in light cotton tabis again. This time it was a bit more difficult since two sleeping guard dogs known as Ranmaru and Ren were positioned near the door. He put his foot down slowly, carefully, not making any noise as he inched his way to the door. One step, two steps, three steps, four...

Masato put his hand on the doorknob, twisting it. The door opened and closed soundlessly. He thanked whichever kind soul had oiled the creaky hinges of this old wooden door. Slipping into the night, he made his way down to the kitchen.

As he tip-toed down the stairs, a mild wave of nostalgia hit him. This was almost like the time when he found Corvus in the kitchen, warming up some milk. And just like that night, Masato's throat was aching for water. It felt a desert in there.

Masato perked up his ears. He had picked up a sound, but he wasn't sure about it. _Clang. _There it was again. Soft and muffled, but it was there nonetheless. Was someone else in the kitchen?

_It couldn't be Corvus, could it?_

More curious than thirsty, Masato practically jumped the last two steps from the stairs and made his way to the kitchen.

Sure enough, a tall, black haired male was standing over a boiling pot.

Fate is a funny thing.

~.~.~.~

He had about less than a quarter to go before he finished half the pile of his work. And he only needed to spend approximately two hours on it, even though his right arm was injured.

_Ha! Take that you morons who sit in the office all day!_

Forgetting his wound, Corvus did a fist pump which only hurt his wound more. He winced from the pain, sandwiching his arm between his body and his left hand, applying pressure on it.

Having a gash as big as this really stinked. His movements were not as fast as usual. His arm felt like a burden more than a mobile limb.

It was midnight.

Seeing as he returned to the dorms late and only had something miniscule for dinner, Corvus decided to go down to the kitchen to warm up some milk and munch on some biscuits. His stomach growled lowly in agreement.

Patting his empty fuel tank, Corvus turned off his light and went down to the kitchen.

He held his arm close to him while he walked to avoid any unnecessary movements. With the tips of his fingers, Corvus could feel the white bandages. Tracing the lines they made, he could almost feel the ghost of Masato's fingers on them.

Because of his injured arm, everything seemed more difficult. It was easy to write and remain rooted to the table, but in a kitchen where you had to move around, an injured arm did not belong in there.

Corvus managed to open the carton of milk and pour it into the pot, eventually. He watched the fire coming from the stove. Blue, fiery red, burning orange and bright yellow illuminated the darkness. He never liked to waste electricity, so he kept the lights off.

As he shifted on his feet, he could feel someone watching hi. There was a sense of nostalgia as he briefly remembered that night. The night when Masato kissed his cheek.

Turning around, he was quite surprised by the person standing in front of him.

Fate is a funny thing.

"Masato?"

~.~.~.~

"Let me guess: Warming up milk again?"

Corvus let out a hearty laugh. "You've gotten psychic, Masato!"

"Probably rubbed off from you." stated the bluenet.

"Mm, probably." Corvus gave the milk a good stir. "But we really have to stop meeting like this." Seeing Masato's confused face, he quickly added: "Not that there's anything wrong with it!"

The bluenet smiled and walked over to the sink to get his glass of water. "Let me help you with that." he said as he saw Corvus having a hard time to pour the contents of the pot into a mug.

"Ah, thank you." Corvus let Masato take over and he could feel their hands brush pass each other, sending electric waves up his hand.

The two males just stood there, sipping their midnight drinks in the glow of the half hidden moon. Neither of them said anything. Neither of them wanting to say anything, for fear of destroying this perfect moment.

The second hand of the clock ticked along, making a steady rhythm like the beat of one's heart. But the beat of Corvus' heart was wild and irregular. Seeing Masato like this again, in the half moonlight, was like magic. He said a silent prayer to the gods, thanking them for this moment.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable, his chest was. Masato could feel his chest clench tight as a fist, making his breaths feel shallow. "How's your arm?" He said it only to try to disperse the uncomfortable feeling that was growing in his chest.

"Never better!" Corvus did his best to sound cheerful so as to not worry Masato. Why he thought Masato would worry, he didn't know. After all, Masato would be more worried about Ren, right?

"I see." He was glad that Corvus did not take any major damage to his arm, thereby clearing all the 'what if' thoughts in his head. That is, until Masato noticed a dark splotch on the bandage. "Corvus, what's that?"

Corvus was puzzled. "What's what?" he didn't see anything.

"That." said Masato as he pointed to the splotch on his white bandages.

Lifting up his arm, Corvus examined it. And he put on his best pokerface. "Nothing."

Masato frowned. He's been with his tutor long enough to know when Corvus put a pokerface on, pretending nothing ever happened. Marching over to the taller male, he grabbed his arm and looked closely at the splotch.

"Hey!~" whined Corvus.

"You call this nothing?" Masato's voice was lowering to a growl. "Then why is it I see blood seeping out?"

Corvus was speechless. "Um..." was his only response. His brain couldn't think fast enough for an answer.

"Stay here and don't move." there was a certain threat to his voice and Corvus had no choice but to obey.

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review!**

**Thank you Tokittoki!**

**-Masato's just a worry-wart at heart. Though he doesn't want to confirm his feelings for Corvus. Meesa going to make him do it in the next chapter.**


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 – Bandaging a wound is tricky business

He could hear Masato grumble about something. Something about him, not taking care of wound, careless, irresponsible towards own well-being.

Corvus sweat dropped. Was Masato angry with him?

Masato couldn't believe it. Corvus could've done a better job taking care of himself. Unwrapping the bandages, Masato found a trail of blood trickling from the wound, the ointment having little effect on the gash. He grumbled some more as he looked for something in the first aid kit that could help in any way.

Inspecting the wound, he saw that at least there wasn't an infection spreading. The flesh looked red and sore, probable from wearing the old bandages too long.

They were sitting in the kitchen, on tall stools, Corvus' arm on the counter, the first aid kit set aside. They had turned on a small light so that Masato could get a better visual.

"I wonder how you know so much about this." Corvus didn't take Masato as a practical one. He assumed that he liked to stick to theories better.

Still working on the wound, Masato simply answered "I used to do this a lot. Especially on Ren when we were younger. He was careless as a mutt." He dabbed a cotton ball in a type of white liquid, soaking it. "He still is."

Corvus could feel the envy, no, jealousy in his heart. Means that, compared to Corvus, Ren had more intimate At the same time he knew how important Ren was to Masato. He gave a small chuckle at the bluenet's last comment. Ren as a mutt didn't sound too bad. "How is Ren?"

Masato's fingers stopped their work for a moment. "He's good."

He didn't want to talk about it, and Corvus got the hint. As quickly as the topic of Ren had surfaced, it had closed just as fast.

Masato dabbed the soaked cotton ball directly onto the spot where blood was trickling down. Corvus winced and grabbed on the stool harder. It hurt. A lot more than the last time. Pulling a fresh bandage from the kit, Masato expertly wrapped it tightly around the wound.

"There." said the bluenet as he sat back to look at his handiwork.

Corvus flexed his arm, testing it. "Feels great!" He twisted his arm, brought it back again and did the same thing twice more. "Thanks a lot, Masato!"

Sitting there in the kitchen late at night, treating Corvus' wounds, seeing his charming smile, it just made his chest clench. Was it his chest, or was it his heart? The thought of it made Masato feel uneasy. Like he had betrayed himself. Or he had betrayed Ren.

Corvus looked at the stark white bandages again. They looked like the paper snakes he used to make as a kid. He would sit on the creaky wooden front porch of their almost dilapidated house, cutting out strips from the newspaper, drawing eyes and a tail on the strips to make snakes. Sometimes he would doodle the shapes of other animals like fishes or elephants, cut them out and he had his toys for the day.

If anything, being poor while he was young taught him how to save, how to appreciate the smallest and fleeting things in life. How to treasure them.

He risked a glance at the bluenet who was packing away the objects used to treat his wound.

He was not appreciating the fleeting moment. He was going against his life's principals. And he never went against them, under any circumstances.

With his good hand, he grabbed Masato by the wrist, causing a shocked look on the bluenet's face. "Masato, I'm sorry."

"Corvus, what do you me-...!"

Before Masato could fully get his sentence across, the taller male had pulled him closer, smashing their lips together.

It was like the time when they did the recording for the BL CD, only this time, there was no obligation to do it. This wasn't for the sake of their jobs, for the sake of their careers, for the sake of their pride. This was for the sake of nothing.

What was he doing? The simple answer was: he was kissing Masato. The complex answer would be: he was kissing someone who already had another person. He cursed at himself inwardly. Yet he could not get his mind to focus.

The only thing he could think about at the moment was how soft Masato's lips felt against his own. They were the softest things Corvus had ever touched.

Masato could feel a tongue licking at his bottom lip. Corvus' tongue. Wet and slick against his lip, begging for entrance.

He hesitantly opened his mouth to a crack, and Corvus saw this as a good opportunity. He slipped his tongue into Masato's mouth, exploring every corner, every crevice.

Slowly but surely, Masato was losing himself in the kiss, and his tongue responded with Corvus'. It rose from the floor of his mouth, making its way into Corvus' mouth, licking his teeth, feeling around.

He must be dreaming. After all, how could Masato want to respond to his kiss? But at the sight of Masato, just the beautiful sight of him, convinced Corvus that this wasn't a dream. That this was happening. Right now.

Their tongues danced, locked in a tight embrace. They turned, twirled, swirled, twisted, licked. They had slipped their tongues into every part of the other's mouth, leaving no area unexplored. Their breaths mingled together due to the proximity.

Running low on air, Corvus pulled away. Swimmer he was, but even the best have to come up for air. Masato had wanted to pull away first, but he wasn't sure if he could. As their tongues returned to their original places and their lips left each other, a trail of saliva was seen, connecting them until it dripped onto the counter.

The two of them were panting heavily. Wiping his mouth, Corvus took a look at Masato. His cheeks were pink, a lustful look in his eyes that made Corvus want to kiss him all over again. Corvus himself was burning and there was a dull ache in the area between his thighs. Thank god the counter acted as a barrier between them.

Masato had felt his member growing hard, and was thankful that the yukata hid his mild erection. Corvus had kissed him, and it felt _good_. It was much different than Ren's. This kiss felt much more passionate.

But the rule he had broken still remained. Corvus had kissed Masato. Kissed another man's lover. Kissed him heatedly. "I'm sorry, Masato." he repeated.

Corvus got up and walked pass the bluenet who wasn't moving. "I promise it'll never happen again." A glance more. "Good night."

Masato was left standing there, fingers on his lips under the moonlight.

As much as he would try to deny it, he wanted it to happen again.

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san!~ Please don't forget to favourite and/ review!**

**Thank you Tokittoki for your support!**

**Afterthought: heh heh...You finally did something right, Corvus. **


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 – And then came another

Replay.

His mind, his brain was set on that button, replaying the events that had happened that night.

The burning of his throat, the water, the blood seeping out, the wrapping of the bandages, the small talk, the heated kiss, the promise of never doing that again.

His heart, not his chest, felt pained. His problems were piling up. On one hand, he had Ren, his childhood friend and the guy whom he was officially dating. Corvus, his tutor, the new addition to their senpais, and the one whom he admired was on the other.

It was a helpless situation.

He loved Ren. He was his childhood playmate, his older brother figure. He and Ren did almost everything together, even after they became rivals. Studying at Saotome Academy, living in the same room as Ren, breathing the same air, singing the same songs, there was a bond they shared. They reverted to being friends and Ren confessed to him. He did so after. Sure Ren may be a big flirt and act like a jerk, but Masato could see that he held no malice.

Until a few months ago when he started to sleep with others.

And then came another. Corvus. Corvus came here unexpected. He was made a tutor to the boys of STARISH by Shining himself. Corvus was an unexpected idol and the first time Masato listened to his song, he knew it wouldn't be his last time. Corvus was kind even for his looks, and he was really concerned for others, especially his mentees. He was willing to help anyone who was facing an obstacle in their lives, not hesitating to hurt himself in order to help either. Corvus was the only one who looked at him for who he is: Hijirikawa Masato and no one else.

Not Hijirikawa Masato, the son of a tycoon. Not Hijirikawa masato, the sole heir to a million dollar industry. Not Hijirikawa Masato, a member of STARISH. Not Hijirikawa Masato, the talented pianist. Not Hijirikawa Masato, a student of the prestigious Saotome Academy.

To Corvus, he was only Hijirikawa Masato. Hijirikawa Masato who liked to eat melon bread. Hijirikawa Masato who played sentimental songs. Hijirikawa Masato who knew how to give first aid treatment. Hijirikawa Masato who wrote tons and tons of calligraphy. Hijirikawa Masato who always sat up straight. Hijirikawa Masato who had a habit of walking near the water's edge even if he can't swim.

Just Hijirikawa Masato.

Before he knew it, before he could even register what happened, Masato found himself in love again. Only this time, it was with Corvus.

"_I promise I'll never do that again."_

He wished it wasn't true.

~.~.~.~

Replay.

The events that led up to the kiss was replayed over and over and over and over in his head.

Corvus had never loved anyone deeply, save for his mother whom he was related to. Not even his step-brother got so much love.

He was a crow, a crow that lived in solitude. A crow which every one detested and hated. A crow which no one wanted to save. A crow which did not want to be saved.

He made up his mind, but why? Why did the gods play such a cruel trick on him?

Why did he have to fall in love with Hijirikawa Masato?

He was an open person, but he could not accept this. He could not fall in love. He couldn't. He just couldn't.

How could he, when the person he had loved died blindly? How could he love someone else, protect someone else, when he couldn't even protect his own mother?

He should've stopped her that day. Stopped her from marrying that English man. They could still be poor, his mother would still die, he would still be alone. But at least she would've died where she loved the most. In her hometown, in her land, in her element. Not in some cold and grimy foreign country.

He swore never to love anyone. And then came another.

Hijirikawa Masato, he had took an immediate liking to him. He was a young and promising student, diligent and sometimes stubborn. All the works of success in him, save one. He lacked a certain amount of confidence. Corvus decided it was his mission to instil some confidence in him. And as the mission progressed, so did his feelings for him. They intensified day by day, making each day without the bluenet hard to bear.

Somehow, like old age and cancer, love had snuck up on him, rendering him powerless.

He had fallen head over heels for Masato, and he didn't want to admit it.

He couldn't admit it without the fear of losing him.

Without the fear of him not being strong enough to protect him.

Without the fear of his past creeping up on him.

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/review! **

**Afterthought: Made it shorter, hope it's still to your tastes.**


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 – Peaceful days have to end

His tears were mixed in with the rain. One couldn't tell which was which. They were both transparent liquids, only one saltier than the other.

But the tears were streaming down his face, no doubt about it, marring his usual perfect face.

Corvus felt helpless. He could do nothing but try to soothe Masato, try to make him forget all the pain, try to stop him from crying. He knew he couldn't stop him. Masato was a strong person, that much he knew. If he cried, it would be for some grave reason.

And Corvus could only vaguely guess why Masato was out in the rain, crying all by himself.

Alone.

Corvus would have to get to the bottom of this. The sound of Masato crying was breaking his heart.

~.~.~.~

After that 'incident' with Corvus, Masato had tried his best not to look Corvus in the eye. He was afraid of what expressions lie there. He was afraid that he might catch Corvus looking at him with eyes full of detest. But that never happened.

Corvus too, did his best to act normal around Masato. He didn't want him to feel awkward just because of that incident. He wanted them to go back to normal.

And go back to normal they did. Both were extremely good liars to themselves. They lied and lied and lied, turning the lies into reality. Convincing themselves that nothing happened. That's what their brains did.

Their hearts, however, told a different story.

Every day, every hour, every minute, every second they spent apart just made them think of the other more often. When they were together, they wished that time would momentarily stop for them, to prolong the moments they had together. Each waiting moment seemed too long, each moment they spent together too short.

It seemed that every waking moment Masato spent, Masato spent it thinking and comparing Ren and Corvus. The more he compared, the more confused he got. The more confused he got, the more his heart thumped wildly when he was around Corvus.

With every moment he was alive, Corvus' thoughts would float to Masato, no matter where he was, no matter when it was. He began to catch glimpses of Masato out of the corner of his eye even when he wasn't there. He was going insane. Insane over Masato.

They were both bound.

Bound to the chains of fate.

Bound to the other.

~.~.~.~

The sky was grey, dark clouds overhead. Wind picking up and leaves scattered across the roads. A light shower. Drizzles. Then it got heavier. And heavier. A few minutes after it started, there was a downpour outside, drenching everything in rain water.

Masato was glad that he made it in time to get indoors when the rain came. He didn't want to get wet and catch a cold. His shopping trip for melon bread didn't cost him his health, thank god. STARISH's next major performance was coming up, and he needed to be healthy enough to practise and perform with everyone on stage.

Arranging his shoes at the doorway, he could see that both Corvus and Ren were out. Another look to the umbrella racks showed that Corvus, being the wonderful predictor he is, had taken out his black umbrella with him. Ren, however, never took any umbrella.

Masato sighed. His boyfriend can be such a pain. Walking into the kitchen, he put down the plastic bag full of melon bread on the counter, where he was once again reminded of the night Corvus kissed him heatedly. He blushed at the thought and scolded himself for being so foolish.

Whipping out his cellphone, he called Ren to see if he was alright. He was waiting. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Four rings. Five rings. Six rings... It wasn't until the tenth ring when Masato was about to give up, that someone answered.

"Who's this?"

That wasn't Ren at all. It sounded like a woman with a chipmunk's voice.

Thinking that it was another of Ren's business associates, Masato used his most formal voice. "I'm looking for Jinguji Ren please."

A slight pause. "Ya mean my sweet darling?" The woman on the other side of the line asked. "What der ya want with him?"

Masato couldn't find the words. 'Darling'? He had a doubt. He had a fear. He chose to believe it was not so. That Ren wouldn't do such a thing again, but something made him backtrack and shut the phone.

It was Ren's voice. His sleepy, lazy, jazzy voice in the background, asking his woman: "Who is it, sweet cherry pie?"

_'Sweet cherry pie' my arse._

Without an umbrella or a raincoat, Masato just slipped on his shoes and ran into the rain.

~.~.~.~

Rain always seemed to be near wherever sadness lie.

And now, the rain just felt so good on Masato's back, his face.

It awakened him, forced him to see the harsh reality and accept it.

Masato ran faster, the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

The muscles of his legs tightened. He hadn;t exercised much recently and his legs felt as if on fire.

Stopping abruptly, Masato crouched down on the open field he had ran to and tried to catch his breath.

He held his face up to the sky and let the rain beat down on him. He didn't care if he was soaked. He didn't care if he was going to get sick. He didn't care at all.

He didn't want to care anymore.

He couldn't afford to care anymore.

He felt the water streaming down his cheeks. ___Why am I crying? _He wanted to kick himself. Why was he crying? That jerk Ren didn't care about him anyway. He wanted to bury himself in the earth and just die.

All of a sudden, the rain stopped showering onto him.

Masato could see a shadow loom over him. He could hear the pitter-patter of raindrops, hitting an umbrella probably.

"Masato, are you okay?"

He knew that voice. That voice sounded so caring, so warm.

Immediately he got up from his crouching position and hugged the tall male who held the black umbrella.

"Masato?" The male sounded very concerned now. The Masato he knew never acted like this.

Before he could stop it, the bluenet was racking into sobs.

The other male just hugged him tighter and soothed his back. "It's okay, Masato. It's okay."

Masato kept on sobbing. He couldn't stop.

"It's okay. I'm here."

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san! Please don't forget to favourite and/ review!**

**Afterthought: And we're back to square one! The real adventure starts now!**


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 – Your face is red

Placing his hand on his forehead, Corvus could tell that Masato was having a mild fever. The boy lying on his bed had a red face and he was panting.

Heading into the bathroom, Corvus grabbed a towel and soaked it in water. He found a small tub under the sink and filled that with water, letting the towel float in the mini pond. When he deemed it enough, he returned to the bed where Masato was and gently placed the wet towel on his forehead, hoping that he would feel more comfortable this way.

Seeing that Masato was shivering, Corvus opened his closet to see if there were any spare blankets left. He dug through piles of shirts when he finally found one more and drapes it over Masato.

Corvus slowly lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb the sick boy. Masato looked so vulnerable, so fragile. So easily breakable. Unlike the Masato he's always known.

Lightly, as light as he could possibly manage, Corvus touched Masato's cheek with his fingers. It was warm.

Smiling to himself, Corvus got up, heading for the door.

~.~.~.~

"Masato, let's go back."

They had been standing under the umbrella for some time now, the rain still showed no signs of stopping. It was still pouring down from the heavens, as if the gods up there shared Masato's pain.

The bluenet seemed exhausted by now. He had kept on crying as Corvus stroked his back, trying to calm him down. Now, now he just felt nothing.

"Masato?" Corvus was worried about the bluenet who had buried himself in his chest. Under his hand, Corvus could feel Masato trembling. Holding his umbrella in one hand, he shrugged off his jacket and placed it on Masato.

"Let's go back, Masato." The said male stared up at him with swollen eyes and nodded.

~.~.~.~

Upon returning, Masato had taken a warm bath which Corvus had prepared for him and borrowed Corvus' clothes. They were a little too big for him, but they were cozy nonetheless.

He refused to return to his room. He didn't want to see all the things that Ren had left there. He didn't want to see traces of anything that connected to the sapphire eyed male. The one who had left him for some other woman.

After Corvus had helped him dry his hair, he immediately slumped into bed, feeling extremely tired and dizzy.

Then, nothing.

He could hear Corvus walking around in the room, the sound of running water, the crow which was outside the window for a brief moment before flapping its wings and flying away.

He was just too tired. He felt like his brain was going to pop and explode from all his thoughts. His head felt like a thousand pound rock, too heavy to be balanced on his neck any longer. He felt cold, so very cold. He pulled the blankets closer, but to no avail.

Something wet was placed on his forehead. Wet and soft. It cooled his head, making him feel less dizzy. Moments later, a blanket was draped over him. It was a thin one, but Masato was grateful for the extra cover. He pulled the covers around him tighter. It was still so cold, it felt like he was freezing over in the south pole.

He felt the bed sink and something warm was pressed against his cheek. They felt like fingers. Opening his eyes a crack, he could see Corvus sitting on the edge of the bed, a worried look on his face. He closed them and opened them again. Corvus' fingers had left and now he was leaving too.

If Masato was aware of anything at the time, he was aware that he didn't want to be left alone.

~.~.~.~

As he was just about to go out to get some medicine, Corvus felt a light tug on his wet shirt. Turning around, he saw Masato who was up in bed.

"Masato, lie back down." He tried to lower the boy back down but Masato held fast.

The bluenet mumbled something. A sentence. "Please don't leave."

"Huh?" He didn't understand. "Masato, I'll go get some medicine and I'll be right back, okay?"

Apparently, Masato was not okay with it as he still tugged on Corvus' shirt. "Please don't leave."

Corvus tried to pry his fingers away. "Masato, I've got to get some pills."

He lifted his head and Corvus could see the tears welling up in his eyes again. "Please don't leave me." His voice was cracked.

It hurt Corvus to see him like this. It hurt him more than his wounds. It hurt him more than ever.

Pulling Masato closer, Corvus locked him into a tight embrace. "I'm never leaving you, Masato." he whispered into the bluenet's ear. In his hug, Corvus could feel Masato's tense muscles relax. He was still shivering like a leaf.

Corvus felt so warm. Being held by him was like being in the sun. The rays not hurting you, just a soft glow. Masato liked that feeling. His teeth were chattering, so he knew he was shivering. A fever, perhaps, from being out in the rain. He held onto Corvus as if he was the only lifeline he has.

And the two just held each other for a while in that embrace, Corvus stroking Masato's back every once in a while to warm him up or calm him down. Masato was warmer now, no longer feeling the full-on blast of chilly air.

In a daze, Masato lifted his heavy head from Corvus' shoulder and placed his lips on the other male's.

Light and soft. That's what Corvus felt. He could not believe that Masato was kissing him, again. _He's sick. He doesn't know what he's doing._

As if reading his mind, Masato pulled away, lust glazed in his eyes. "Kiss me, please." He was almost begging. Begging Corvus to kiss him.

His heart was about to jump out form his chest. Here was a sick Masato on his bed who looked so seductive. Red face, lustful eyes, pink lips, an over-sized T-shirt exposing his right shoulder, the shorts leaving his smooth thighs out in the open. He wanted to touch them so badly. So, so badly.

Masato was closing in again, impatient to get his kiss. Lips met with lips. They opened their mouths and let their tongues slide against each other, dancing, embracing like they were moments ago. Masato hung on to Corvus' neck as they kissed, pushing them closer, making the experience much more intimate. Corvus could feel a bulge rise in his pants. He sucked on the bluenet's soft bottom lip, teeth meeting skin. Masato let out a soft mewl, arousing the older male more.

Corvus trailed kisses along Masato's jaw, licked his neck. Masato's collarbones were visible underneath his skin and Corvus wanted to mark him. Mark him as his. Mark him so that no one else would get near to him.

He had to focus. With a hand, he managed to pull the T-shirt off Masato while the slick muscle in his mouth aimed directly for his nipples.

"Mm...C-corvus..."

He licked on them vigorously, his hands roaming the bluenet's torso. Up and down they went, feeling every muscle there. Seeing as Masato was still okay with it, Corvus brought his hands to the other boy's nipples and began rubbing them, clockwise and counter-clockwise. His tongue was sliding down his well-shaped body, heading south.

Masato was panting now, each breath he took harsher than the last. His fever was still here, but at least he didn't feel cold anymore, Though the dizzyness he feels is not from his fever, but from Corvus touching him. The black haired male just made it feel so good. Masato knew he was hard already, and the peak in his borrowed shorts proved that fact.

He could feel something poking him. Looking down, Corvus could see Masato's hard-on. It was so temptating. He leaned into Masato's neck, breathing "Should I?"

The younger male gave a weak nod as he tried to suppress his moans from Corvus' hands which were on his nipples, torso and hips.

Corvus yanked off Masato's shorts and underwear in one go, opening his package. Seemingly glad for the release, Masato's erection stood high and tall. Precum was already seen at the tip of his penis. Corvus ran his thumb along the tip, spreading the precum all over his length and the inside of his thighs. He peeled back the foreskin, revealing the head of his cock. He vreathed lightly over it, earning a shrudder from Masato. A lick at the slit, replaced later by his fingernail in it as he ran his tongue from the base to the tip of Masato's length.

Masato moaned loudly. "C-corvus.."

Dragging his tongue, Corvus closed his mouth, covering the tip of Masato's hardened and tense cock. He sucked on it, like a lollipop. His tongue wrapped and unwrapped itself against the hardened member, pushing the foreskin up and down, grazing the slit. He sucked in his cheeks so that the length in his mouth would be wrapped tighter. He let his tongue roam to very back where he could have a taste of Masato's balls.

Masato was making soft moans and mewls, tugging on Corvus' hair. It just felt too good to pass up. He could feel his cock get tense, knowing he's about to come. "Corvus, I-I'm about to come..." he said in almost a whisper.

Soft as it was, Corvus had caught Masato's warning, but paid it no heed. Instead, his sole job now was to make Masato come as much as he wanted to. Lower sounds were made as Corvus continued sucking and licking, licking and sucking.

Masato bucked his hips. "Ah!" And he came. Right into his tutor's mouth, releasing all that pent-up tension.

Corvus swallowed all his semen, salty and sticky and thick. He lapped it up from the tip of Masato's penis like a dog lapping up water. When he rose to look at the other male, Masato was already fast asleep.

He felt disappointed but relieved. At least Masato was resting now, his fever would go down quicker. Covering Masato up and placing the wet towel on his forehead, Corvus rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Too much pleasing for Masato, not enough for him. Removing his trousers and boxers, his erection sprang free. It was hard enough for penetration already. Leaning against the wall, Corvus tries to release himself. He moved his hand up and down his length, using his precum as lubrication. His palm rubbed against his cock at a steady rhythm, building up the tension. Minutes later, he came with a groan, spilling all his semen onto the tiled bathroom floor. His legs gave way and he slid down, panting for air.

Masato was driving him crazy. And that's how he liked it.

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san!**

**Thank you Tokittoki for all your reviews!**

**-I had a break and inspiration was back!  
-After two or three more chapters, there won't be so much suffering anymore. **

**-Maybe a fluffy one in the next two chapters.**

**Afterthought: First sex scene for Corvus and Masato, and it sucks. I promise I'll give you a better one next time!**


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 – An awkward start

How should he say this?

It was an awkward moment?

~.~.~.~

Masato blinked a few times. There were strands of light shining onto his face. He blinked some more to let his eyes adjust. There was a crack in the white curtains, letting the morning light flow in. How did he know it was the morning light? That's because it's soft, unlike the sunlight in the afternoon.

That's when he noticed something off. _White curtains? _His shared room had pale orange ones. He turned his head around. _ This isn't my room._The walls were a pastel beige, there were hardly any posters on the wall, just stick-it notes. There was a table which was a contradiction itself. Half of it was kept sparkly clean while the other was overflowing with work.

He immediately shot up from his place in the bed and tried to find out why was he here. He recognized this room. He had used to come here on multiple Sundays to ask about his tutoring session. This was Corvus' room. And when he thought about Corvus, he acted as a trigger and the rest came flooding back to him.

The rain, the phone call, the sense of betrayal, the hurt inside, the running, the rain on his skin, the crouching, the crying, the feel of Corvus' hands on his back, the fever, the kiss, the make-out... Masato placed his hand over his mouth., blushing furiously. _Oh. My. God. _He tried to reaffirm the events, trying to make sure that what he thought was not real.

He pulled the covers. His clothes were still on, but they were not exactly his. He checked his body. No marks anywhere. But he felt relaxed and felt he had released in the last 24 hours. He had to find Corvus to confirm this. Where was he?

Getting up from the bed, Masato stepped off the edge, where his foot did not meet the floor, but something soft and squishy.

"Ow!"

~.~.~.~

Corvus stirred in his sleep. He could tell that morning was here, but he was just too tired to get up. _Five more minutes._ He twitched his nose, kept his eyes closed and sailed back to dreamland.

Unfortunately, his trip was short-lived.

Either something had fell on his face, or someone had stepped on him. Probably a foot on his face because of the pressure on his face. "Ow!" he cried. He sprang up from the floor where he had been sleeping all night to nurse his forehead.

A startled Masato was back on the bed. He didn't expect to find Corvus sleeping there. Well, expect the unexpected. "Um... Sorry."

"Eh?" Looks like Masato was up and moving about. Corvus got up from his makeshift bed and put his hand on Masato's forehead which made the younger male blush at the close proximity. "Thank goodness! Your fever broke!" He seemed to sag with relief. "But your face is a little red. You'll probably have to take some medicine after all."

"Corvus?" It was now or never. Masato had to find out what happened last night, had to know that he is wrong. That none of those things had happened. He took a deep breath."What happened? Last night."

Corvus blushed. He knew that Masato would ask something like this sooner or later. He was having a fever and your memory gets jumbled then. "... Do you want the truth?" He asked that to stall. He needed to find a way to say this. He needed more time.

Masato nodded.

"Here goes everything." He cleared his throat and told Masato how he found him in the rain and brought him back. Masato refused to go back to his room for some reason or another, and Corvus didn't want to fight with him. So, he let him take a bath in his room instead.

The bluenet blushed. The idea of Corvus seeing his totally naked even though they're both guys was not appealing in the slightest.

When Masato came out, he had a fever running. So he was laid onto the bed while Corvus went to get a towel and a tub of water. He had confirmed Masato's fever and went to get some medicine, but was stopped by Masato.

Corvus had to pause. This was getting way too embarrassing.

And they kissed. And they made out. "Don't worry, there wasn't any penetration."he added for safety.

Masato was blushing furiously now and so was Corvus. Neither knew what to say. It was a very awkward moment. Heavy silence descended upon them.

"I'm sorry."

Masato looked up at Corvus.

"I promised that I wouldn't do it again, but I did anyway." He wanted to dig a hole and hide his head in it. "I'm sorry."

More silence. Masato didn't know what to make of this. He was the one who initiated the kiss. Was it because Ren betrayed him and he was looking for someone else to take his place? Was it because he was just desperate and needy? Or was it because he had loved Corvus all along? He slumped against the wall. If he did, then he had played the betrayal game too.

The silence was killing hi. He'd apologized, but Masato said nothing. It was okay if Masato were to get mad at him, were to hate him. He was prepared for that. Every act has its price and he was willing to pay. But nothing prepared him for the sentence that came out of Masato's mouth next.

Almost a whisper. He had to strain his ears to hear it. "I love you."

Did he really just... Yep, he said it. His heart was going to have a seizure if he didn't. Corvus looked bewildered and Masato was bewildered himself. Yet, he felt lighter. A burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He felt the chains breaking off, allowing him to freely fly anywhere he wanted to.

"Corvus, I love you." he said it louder, with much more conviction to get his point across.

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san! Don't forget to favourite and/ review!**

**Afterthought: I'm very sorry this took so long! I had a hard time writing what the boys were going to do next from the last chapter.**

**Thank you Tokittoki!**

**-I think three or four more and this'll be done. But if I can get more inspiration, then this story shall stretch!**


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 – Confession

"Corvus, I love you."

The bold statement not only took Corvus by surprise, it grabbed him by the leg, shook him around and hung him upside down on a roller-coaster ride.

He was speechless. He lost all the ability to speak, to think, even the ability to breathe.

Masato was waiting. Corvus stood there shocked, but that was it. No reaction. Not that he was expecting anything. However, if he could say something instead of looking at Masato blankly would be nice.

His throat tightened visibly. Sweat beaded down his forehead. He felt the butterflies in the stomach, the pain and excitement of his heart. His breaths were harsh and when he tried to speak, no sound came out.

A look at the digital clock on the bed and Masato knew he had to tiptoe back to his room to bathe and change before anyone woke up. He had half an hour left. Getting up to go, he thought that maybe he was wrong. Maybe Corvus didn't like him at all. _But what about the kiss? And last night? _Was it all just an act?

He smiled at the taller male. "You don't have to answer if you don't have to." Barefoot still, he made his way to the door, only to be pulled back.

_Was this how it was? _He didn't mean didn't want to come off as someone who didn't care about Masato, but he did. He didn't want to.

Masato found himself pinned down on the bed. He and the bed are good friends now. Corvus loomed over the younger male, pinning him by his slender wrists. "Corvus,.." Masato breathed. It was hard to know what Corvus was thinking, since his eyes were covered by his bangs.

It hurt. It hurt knowing that Masato was so close, yet so far away. It hurt his whole being down to the core. "Don't you still have someone else, Masato?" His voice was low, trying his best to mask the uneasiness.

Masato turned away, not wanting to look Corvus in the eye. What could he say? "He betrayed me as I have betrayed him." This was a time for confessions. "He slept with many others while I was secretly admiring you instead." He was blushing but he didn't really care.

Now he knew what it was all about. "Was that why you cried yesterday?" He was worried. Was it all because of Ren? If it was, then he was going to have Ren's head.

The bluenet underneath him shook his head. "That's the reason I told myself at first." He looked sad. Very, very sad. Hurt. Pained. "After giving it some thought,... I think I cried just to vent my frustrations." That was it. He was just so frustrated and confused. Frustrated about Ren, confused about Corvus.

"Masato,..." Corvus leaned down to place a swift kiss on his lips, causing the other to blush a deeper shade of pink. He smirked. "You are too cute."

Wait, was that a yes or a no? Corvus was driving him up the wall. Masato couldn't figure anything out.

Burying himself in Masato's neck, he let go of the slender wrists and hugged the bluenet. Having made sure his face was hidden, he whispered into Masato's ear. "I love you too."

Masato stopped short. _He loves me too?_He was overjoyed, the happiness spilling over the edge, but something wasn't right. Something in his voice, his posture...

"Masato," came Corvus' voice. "I love you, but I can't love you." His voice was tight and firm.

The bluenet was confused. "Why not?"

Corvus began a brief recount of his mother's death, how stupid he was, how powerless he was. He wasn't strong enough then, he certainly isn't strong enough now either. "How can I love someone, when I can't even protect the ones I love?" His voice was a soft whisper on the breeze, a shaky one.

Masato abruptly pushed Corvus from his neck and made the older male face him, staring right into his eyes. "Do I look that weak to you?"

"Masato..." He shook his head. He gave a small smile. "You're not, but I can't take that risk." With a sad smile, he said: "I'm a solitary crow."

"Then why did you want to be saved?!"

Corvus jerked his head up. _Eh?_

Masato cradled his face. "Why did you ask to be saved in your song? If you want to be alone, why did you ask to be saved?" He could see that he was hitting a good spot. "You don't want to be alone, do you?" he added in a softer voice.

Corvus recovered and gave a hearty laugh. He took Masato's hands in his and kissed them. "No, I don't." The truth he had been running away from all along. He didn't want to be alone. He was actually very afraid, of being alone too long.

Funny, it was Masato who made him see the truth. Masato and no one else.

"I wonder though, would you really be okay with someone idiotic like me?" Corvus smiled his charming smile.

Masato pitted question against question."Would you be fine with someone like me?"

"Hm~ I think so."

"You only 'think so'?"

"No," Corvus kissed Masato's ear and nibbled on It which earned a small yelp from the boy, enjoying the reaction he got from Masato. "I know so."

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san!**

**Thank you for all your support Tokittoki!**

**Afterthought: I should make more fluff and cut the arguments short.**


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30 – It's over

"It's over." Masato wanted it to be known to Ren.

Sapphire eyes grew sad. Ren's normally cool composure, refused to budge. "And why is that so?"

Masato narrowed his eyes. "Does '_sweet cherry pie'_ ring a bell or two?"

Ren's eyes widened ever so slightly, but he refused to drop his act. "What are you talking about, Masato?" He smirked. "Have you been reading books on porn?"

He would've blushed at the comment months ago, not now. "I'm serious." He took a step closer to Ren. "Where were you last night?"

Ren swallowed. "I could ask you the same question, Masato."

The atmosphere was getting deadly. The two were sending daggers to the other.

"I was with Corvus." he said simply. Why should he hide?

Ren furrowed his brow. "Corvus?" he said in a mocking tone. "What were you doing with him?"

"Answer me first."

"What are you, five?"

"Does it matter?"

Ren scoffed. His roommate was hard to get around. "Stubborn as always." he muttered, just loud enough for Masato to hear.

The bluenet ignored the comment, wanting to focus on the task at hand. "Where. Were. You?" He stressed each of the words, treating Ren like a child.

"I was with Cher." If Masato wanted to play it this way, he could too.

Searching the edges of his brain, he managed to find someone called Cher. "Cher the photographer?"

"Yeah, so what?" Ren looked down on Masato. "You haven't answered my question."

"Oh?" Masato feigned innocence. "Could you repeat that?"

"What were you doing with Corvus?" His temper was rising.

Masato smiled an angelic smile, a smile which Ren had not seen for a long time. "He's the idiot who saved me."

"Huh?" Ren's face showed that he was more than confused. "What the hell do you mean?"

Masato crossed his arms. "Ren, I loved you."

He was getting edgy. "Why the past tense?"

Masato held up a hand. "Let me finish." He was back to his cold self. "I loved you, yet you betrayed me. I forgave you, yet you would do it again and again."

Ren didn't like this. "You're just digging up all of my mistakes, aren't you?" He didn't like this one bit.

"I don't feel the same love for you anymore." Masato stared into those sapphire orbs. "I love someone else."

His throat was tight. "Let me guess:" His fists were clenched tightly. "Corvus, right?"

A pause then a nod from the bluenet.

"So you're just going to leave me?" Although he didn't look like it, Ren was deeply cut. He had tried so hard to get Masato, and now he was going to lose him again. To some new guy to top it off.

Another nod. "At least I told you the reason."

"That's not enough."

"I know." Pulling the taller male down, Masato planted a soft kiss on his lips. "This will be the last time, but I hope you can understand." Turning away form Ren, Masato walked down the empty hallway.

"And what if I don't?" Was this really going to be the last time?

Masato stopped mid-walk. "Then remember it was Cher the photographer who you went to." And with that he walked away feeling the burden lift from his shoulders.

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san!**

**Thank you Tokittoki!**

**Afterthought: No screaming, no shouting. A 'peaceful' way to settle this. :D**


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 31 – Amusement park (1)

"Going to the amusement park?" Cecil blinked.

"Shining says that we can go!~" said Reiji. "He paid for all our tickets too!~"

"Really?" Syo found it hard to believe. Shinig Saotome didn't act like that most of the time.

Otoya, on the other hand, was pumped. "When are we going?"

"Is it soon?" Natsuki was too.

"Tomorrow!~" Reiji raised the tickets. "We'll get to ride on the rides and stuff ourselves dizzy!~"

Tokiya looked at the tickets. "Sorry, but I won't be going."

"Eh?~ Why not, Toki-chan?~"His senpai asked him.

Tokiya started his march back to his room. "I have work to do."

A certain red head clasped onto his arm. "But Tokiya always has work! Just for tomorrow! Please!~"

"No." Tokiya tried to shake the male off, but the red head wouldn't let go.

"Please, Tokiya!"

"No."

"Please!~"

"No."

"Pretty pretty please with rainbow sprinkles and cherries on top!"

"What?"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssseeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeee!" Otoya put on his best puppy face.

Tokiya sighed and visibly drooped. "Fine."

Instead of letting go of the stoic boy's arm, Otoya hugged it tighter. "Yay, Tokiya is going too!"

"Please let go of my arm."

Ren looked over to the tickets. He said in a low and soft voice: "Isn't Masa scared of the haunted house?"

"Am not!" hissed Masato in the softest voice he could manage while Tokiya and Otoya were keeping everyone busy.

"Yes you are." teased Ren.

"And you're scared of roller-coasters."'

Well that shut him up.

It's been a few weeks since their quiet breakup, but they were still friends nonetheless. After so many years spending it with each other, how could they not be friends?

Corvus stood at the side and smiled at the scene. He still felt a pang of envy for Ren, but he wasn't going to chop him into little pieces.

"So that's decided!~ We're all going tomorrow!~"

~.~.~.~

"We're going in 3 cars!~"

Everyone had already dressed and prepared. They were standing in the living room, waiting to get a move on.

"The drivers will be those who already have licenses. Kotobuki, Kurosaki and Corvus." droned Ai with his robotic voice.

"Isn't Camus-senpai driving?" asked Natsuki.

Camus crossed his arms. "I don't have a Japanese license."

"The ones going in Kotobuki's car will be Ittoki, Ichinose, Nanami, Tomochika."

"We're going together, Tokiya!"

The boy called 'Tokiya 'said nothing.

Haruka and Tomochika were thrilled with the arrangement.

Ai continued. "Shinomiya, Kurusu, Jinguji are going with Kurosaki."

The three blondes looked at one another then to their senpai.

"Senpai, you should get your hair dyed blond~" Ren teased.

Ren's vein popped. "Like I'll be in the same league with you people!"

"The ones with Corvus will be Camus, Aijima, Hijirikawa and myself." Ai finished off the arrangements.

Corvus scratched his head, self-conscious about having his step-brother and boyfriend in the same car.

"Now that that's done, let's go!~"

~.~.~.~

"It's not moving." said a bored Cecil.

There was a major traffic jam on the highway, causing all the cars to come to a major halt. The cars on the lane were lined up like a snake, stretching on the whole road with spots of red and yellow on its multi-coloured body.

Corvus sat there with a hand on the steering wheel and the other supporting his head. They moved an inch forward.

"I'm getting bored." whined the emerald-eyes boy who was sitting in the middle, sandwiched by Ai on the left and Masato on the right. Camus got the front seat and he turned around. "Be patient, Aijima."

Ai was on his laptop, doing... whatever he always does when he's on his laptop. Cecil looked like a very very bored puppy, slumping his head and putting on a pathetic looking face. Masato stared into space, lost in his own thoughts. Camus was going over the brochure over and over, as if he could find some magic spell in it that will transport them to the amusement park right away.

Just in front of them was Reiji's car with Otoya, Tokiya, Haruka and Tomochika in it. Two cars behind them was the car Ranmaru was driving. In it sat Syo, Natsuki, Ren and their food supply.

Masato slid his eyes over to the front seat. Corvus lightly tapped his finger on the wheel, a tune that only he knew. Masato was intrigued by it. Looking at the mirror, Corvus caught the younger male's eye and smiled as Masato blushed.

"Corvus." called Camus as he was still looking at the paper in his hands.

"Hm?"

Switching to British English, he began a quick talk with his step-brother. "_Don't look at him so much. The more you do, the more everyone else will suspect the both of you._"

Corvus smiled at his step-brother. "_Thank you for your consideration. But I really don't think they'll be any suspicion._"

"_And why is that?_" Camus looked to his step-brother, the one whom he had spent most of his years with.

"_Isn't trying to avoid him much more suspicious?_" He rested both hands on the wheel and moved the car another two inches. "_Besides, I can't take my eyes off him even if I tried._"

Corvus scoffed. "_People in love are stupid_."

"_Like you aren't, Camus._"

The blonde narrowed his eyes. "_And what do you mean?_"

Corvus gave Camus a knowing look. "_You like him don't you? Cecil that is._"

"_Have you gone mad?_" However, his face was betraying him.

Corvus laughed softly. He was amazed to know that his step-brother would be in love too. "_Yes, I have gone mad. After finding love and tasting, I have gone completely insane._" Reaching to the backseats, he took Masato's face in his free hand and kissed him. In front of all those in the car.

Cecil was shocked, Camus was blushing and Ai didn't care for he was still glued to the screen of his laptop. Masato was wide-eyed at first, but slowly warmed up to Corvus.

Corvus pulled away and looked Camus in the eye. "This is what being love looks like." And Masato looked like a blushing bride.

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san!  
**

**Thank you Tokittoki!**

**Afterthought: Corvus is insane!**

**Note: Sorry minna-san, but for the next few updates I'll be slower because I have too much stuff on my hands right now. But I'll promise to make them as interesting as possible!**


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter 32 – Amusement Park (2)

"We're finally here!~" Reiji raised his hands in the air as a sign of victory.

"Reiji-senpai, get out of the rain." scolded Tokiya.

Reiji's arms went limp as he retreated with the others to shelter. "Why do we have such rotten luck?~"

And rotten luck they had indeed. First off, Ranmaru's car couldn't start for ten minutes or so. Then, there was a traffic jam as they hit the highway, due to an accident involving a woman in a car and a snake. More than half an hour was wasted when they were stuck at the highway. When they finally reached the amusement park, it rained.

They stood under the canopy of a trinkets store. All around, they could see the visitors of the park rush to find shelter. Lucky for some of them, they brought umbrellas. Unlucky ones, like the ones from Shining Agency, were drenched in the cold rain.

"Ah-choo!" Masato let out a soft sneeze. He and rain weren't the best of buddies.

Corvus placed his hand on Masato's shoulder. "Are you okay?" Masato was tough on the inside, but he was pretty fragile on the outside.

"I'm fine."

Cecil was staring. What happened in the car had fazed him but he was alright now.

He saw Masato's hand reach for Corvus'.

Well, mostly alright.

Camus had gave him a warning when they got out of the car. "Don't tell anyone that those two kissed, Aijima." his senpai said. "Never open your mouth about that." Too in shock to ask why, Cecil merely nodded his head and promised to keep his mouth shut about it.

Looking at Masato and Corvus now, he wondered if two men can love each other without being criticized. In his country, it was forbidden. Was it okay over here?

Reiji was still whining about the weather. Ai had gone back to staying glued to the screen of his laptop and Ranmaru was visibly irritated by the turn of events. Camus stood with Cecil, emotionless about the whole thing.

"Natsuki, let go!" shouted Syo.

Natsuki was hugging Syo again. Tightly. "But Syo-chan is so cute!"

"Let go!"

Natsuki only hugged Sto tighter. The air was leaving the azure eyed teen's lungs too quickly. "I promise I'll take you to see... Piyo-chan!" He was struggling for air.

The platinum blond immediately loosened his grip on the smaller male. Syo was thankful for the oxygen, breathing it in like a thirsty man who has been offered a glass of water. "Really Syo-chan?" The olive eyes were shining with delight.

Syo sweat dropped. Natsuki has been like this ever since he could remember. "Sure." He gave in.

That episode gave the group some comical relief.

A flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder. The crack of lightning shot through the air, purple flashes illuminated the grey sky. The thunder was like an earthquake as it rumbled, shaking the ground and sending the vibrations to their feet.

Haruka huddled closer to Tomochika. She didn't like the lightning and the thunder. Especially not the thunder.

And there they stood, waiting for the storm to pass.

~.~.~.~

"Yes, we're free to go!" shouted Otoya.

The weather had cleared up nicely. The sun was shining brightly again and the rain shower from before made the atmosphere feel cool and clean.

"We'll split up." declared their heterochromia senior. Walking towards higher ground, he pointed at the trinkets shop. "Meet back here in two hours. Got it?"

They all agreed and went on their own paths.

"Syo-chan, let's go see Piyo-chan!" Natsuki dragged his friend off in search of the big yellow bird before anyone could say anything.

Otoya grabbed Tokiya's arm "Ne Tokiya, let's go ride the roller-coasters!" At the mention of roller-coaster, Ren visibly paled.

"I want to go too." said an emerald eyed boy.

Otoya tugged on Tokiya's arm. "Let's go! Let's go!"

"But the queue will be quite long." said the stoic male.

Cecil gave a push from behind. "Let's go, Tokiya."

With Otoya pulling him and Cecil pushing him, Tokiya was moving forward, towards the roller-coaster. Camus sighed and followed suit.

But not before he could give his step-brother a piece of advice. "_Be careful, Corvus._"

"_Relax a little, Camus._" Corvus smiled at his step-brother as he walked away.

"Let's see if you can beat me in shooting, Ren." challenged Ranmaru.

Ren smirked. "I can definitely beat you in darts."

The two walked off to the stalls where the guns were at.

"Where's Kotobuki senpai?" Masato couldn't seem to find their cheerful senpai.

"Oh, he went off when the firsts signs of rain clearing up were shown." filled in Corvus.

Which meant that the two of them were left alone. Again.

Masato was self-conscious about that. He looked down to his feet.

"So, where do you want to go?" Corvus looked surprisingly able to handle the situation.

Masato was grateful for that. "Anywhere, I suppose."

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san! :D**

**Afterthought: This Amusement Park arc is going to stretch. **


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 33 – Haunted House

He had to stay strong.

He had to.

A skeleton jumped out from the darkness, wrapped in bandages with glowing red eye sockets, jaw hanging and laughing madly.

Masato clamped his mouth shut to prevent his scream from being heard.

~.~.~.~

"H-haunted house?" Was Corvus really asking him to go there?!

His boyfriend nodded. "Mm. Since the rest of them are already going somewhere else. And we shouldn't start off with the gut-wrenching rides because we may puke out all our breakfast."

Masato could empty his stomach if he saw a ghost.

"But," Corvus smiled at Masato. "we can go for some other ride or attraction if you want!"

The bluenet looked down to his feet. He admitted it, all those ghosts taking him by surprise would give him a good scare. "Okay, let's go."

He had to get over his fear. He can't be scared of haunted houses forever.

Corvus blinked. _It's amazing that Masato would want to go, even if he is scared of haunted houses. _He looked over to his blue-haired boyfriend who was slowly making his way towards the darkly painted house made of cardboard and wood.

He smiled and ran a few steps to join Masato in his walk.

~.~.~.~

He wanted to get over his fear. He had to get over his stupid fear.

Saying it was easy. Now that he was faced with the real thing, he felt like he was going to faint.

Too many scary looking monsters in too many places waiting to surprise you. And too many scary sound effects coming form the speakers above.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!" A woman let out a high-pitched scream which made Masato's spine shiver. _Ghost? _No, it was the woman from the couple a few feet, about 24, in front of them. He let out a sigh of relief.

Then, someone touched his shoulder.

Masato jumped so high, he swore he could have touched the ceiling of the haunted house or simply punch his head through it.

"Masato, are you okay?" It was just Corvus.

Masato visibly slumped. He nodded in answer to his question, but his face was very, very pale.

Wordlessly, Corvus took his hand. Masato could feel Corvus' large hand in the dark. His long, bony fingers, his hastily cut nails. It felt warm. Warm and safe. Looking up, he could see the smile that Corvus always has grace his face. _Warm and safe._

Smooth porcelain skin. Soft and tender flesh. Long and slender pianist's fingers. Masato's hand was in another league on its own. Just holding his hand in his was able to arouse Corvus in a way no other can. "Shall we go? He gripped onto Masato's hand tighter, letting him know that he was here.

In the darkness, the bluenet nodded, thankful that Corvus was at least here for him. A ghost of a smile stretched over his lips. The fingers of his hands curled around the other's.

Placing a swift peck on Masato's cheek, the two moved on.

~.~.~.~

_Finally!_ He was finally out of that bloody scary haunted house. No more ghosts, no more ghouls, no more skeletons, no more demons, no more vampires, no more bats and no more of what he hates the most: spiders!

Masato had his hands on his knees at the exit, breathing harshly and attracting tons of attention. He made it. For once in his life, he made it. He made it without any casualties too. _I made it!_

"Masato," Corvus bent down to face the boy. "you look pretty tired." Eyeing a cotton candy stall at the plaza, he nudged Masato. "Want to take a break?"

~.~.~.~

Masato slumped back on the bench as Corvus went to get them some refreshments. He looked at the older male's figure. Dressed in a dark V-neck T-shirt, light sky blue jacket and worn-out jeans, Corvus was making people eye him. A lot.

Corvus had held his hand the entire time during their walk through the haunted house, helping Masato to get past his fear. Once, Corvus even took a grouchy looking demon and shook it, showing Masato that it was just made of cardboard, plastic and dressed in cloth. He knew that, but the sounds and the atmosphere just made him get goosebumps.

He must have looked like a total klutz and idiot. He bowed his head in defeat. In front of Corvus nonetheless.

Something cold was on his forehead.

"Don't frown so much. You'll look older quicker."

Corvus stood there with a can of cherry coke to Masato's forehead. He successfully blocked out the sun from where Masato was sitting.

The bluenet smirked. "That's just a myth."

"If you say so." Corvus sat next to Masato and offered him some of his cotton candy. "Just don't come crying to me about it after." he jested.

Masato took a bite of the cotton candy. Soft and fluffy, And it melted in his mouth. "If I did look older, will you still love me?"

Lifting Masato's face with his fingers, Corvus licked off some of the pink substance that stuck to the corner of Masato's lips.

The younger male was blushing furiously from the physical affection. Was Corvus not ashamed of doing it in public?

"Of course I would."

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san! **

**Thank you Tokittoki for your reviews! **

**Thanks to kai-neko11, Hirvena, kittyangel1999 and FerKheelRiver for favouriting this story!**

**More thanks to Tokittoki, FerKheelRiver and Hirvena for following this story! **

**Afterthought: Didn't know Masa was that scared of haunted houses.**


	35. Chapter 34

Chapter 34 – A ride in the skies

"The queue is pretty long, but it'll be worth the wait."

Masato looked skeptical. "Will we still make it in time to join the others?" He didn't want to worry and trouble the rest of them.

"It'll be fine!" Corvus waved a hand in the air. Seeing as his counterpart was not to keen on the idea, he held out his hand. "Trust me."

There it was again. It had happened many times before, and it always managed to make others trust him. His warmth, his smile, his hand. All of him just made others place their faith in him, no matter how impossible it may seem or sound.

Taking his hand, Masato felt at ease.

Corvus smiled. "Let's go."

They walked like that, hand in hand, all the way to the ferris wheel.

~.~.~.~

An employee eyed them suspiciously when the two of them got into one of the seats of the ferris wheel. Corvus gave him their tickets, and a smile with dark aura seeping out. The employee immediately turned his eyes away.

Climbing into the cart, they sat next to each other. Their hands touching, entwining themselves.

Masato gave a blushing smile and his counterpart smiled back.

No words were exchanged during the ride up to the top. No words were needed, for there wasn't anything that could be put into words.

Not their feelings, not their embarrassment, not their love for each other. All of these were much too strong and complex to be written by a pen onto paper.

The ferris wheel moved along, turning and turning, rotating the passengers so that everyone of them had a chance to get to the top, be at the top of the world, even if it's just for a little while.

With each step, they were getting closer to the top, getting closer to the place where they could see the world.

And what a view it was from up there! Blue skies with clouds sailing so close that Masato actually wanted to reach out his hand and touch them. Looking down, all they could see were ants dressed in the clothes of humans, walking around the amusement park.

"How high up do you think we are?" asked Masato whose eyes were shining brightly.

Corvus looked down to the ground. "About 217 meters." He could always predict things more or less accurately.

"Really?" It was a question that did not demand an answer. A question used to show that masato acknowledged what was being said.

With their hands still intertwined, Corvus leaned over and placed a kiss on Masato's forehead, making the younger male blush.

"You always look so cute, Masato." Taking the bluenet's face in his hand, he pulled their lips closer for a kiss before the younger one could retort. He knew that Masato wasn't particularly comfortable kissing him in public, but it was very hard for him to resist those eyes, that face, those soft lips.

His teeth grazed Masato's bottom lip, lightly biting on it. Opening his mouth, Masato allowed Corvus entrance and felt Corvus' wet and slick muscle invade his mouth once more. He did a little exploration of his own. He ran his tongue over Corvus' imperfect and sharp teeth, feeling the edges.

Pulling away from the kiss, a trail of saliva followed. Both of them were panting for air. They had lost it when they were losing themselves in the passionate kiss. Corvus wiped his lover's mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. He didn't need the others to see traces of their kiss.

Leaning forward, Corvus placed another kiss on Masato's smooth cheek. "I love you."

Masato didn't know why Corvus liked to say that all the time, but he could not deny that he liked it and wanted his boyfriend to say that to him everyday, filling his every waking moment with those three sweet words with his clear voice.

"I love you too."

A ride in the skies can make anyone go lovey-dovey on each other.

At least, that's the conclusion that Reiji drew. He put down the binoculars that he had picked up at the store where they sold objects for jungle trekking.

_So, those two are an item huh?~ _He tipped his hat and smiled as he walked away. _I wonder what happened to him and Ren?~_

Deciding that he would have a little fun with them later, Reiji made his way to get some popcorn as he looked up to the ferris wheel again.

"Admit it, you lost!"

"As if. My hand just slipped."

Turning his head to the direction of the noise, Reiji could spot Ranmaru and Ren bickering. Their silver and orange hair made them easy to spot in the crowd.

"Ran-ran!~ Ren!~" he called and waved his hand. He didn't want his friends to fight. "Over here!~ Over here!~"

The two males looked over to their brown haired friend and frowned.

"Come on!~ We gotta wait for the others!~" Reiji stuffed his mouth with popcorn, looking like a chipmunk. "Meshh oo!~ (Let's go)"

Both senior and junior sighed at the same time. Why was Reiji that much of an idiot?

* * *

**So sorry for making you wait! I was having writer's block on how to continue!**

**Thank you minna-san for reading, favouriting, following and reviewing this story! **

**Please don't forget to check out my other stories if you've liked this one. **

**Afterthought: Next chapter, we're going to meet someone from Corvus' past!**


	36. Chapter 35

Chapter 35 – Blackmail

"Did you guys have fun?~" asked Reiji who was by now looking better and much more cheerful.

Most of them nodded. Ranmaru and Ren have been bickering ever since they left the stalls, still trying to figure who the winner was. Otoya nad Cecil were bright and cheery as usual, but Tokiya and Camus looked like they were going to be sick. Corvus and Masato had a lot of tension between them after the ferris wheel ride. Haruka and Tomochika too had a great time, their faces beaming with delight.

Reiji looked around. "Is everyone here?~" They seem to be missing a person or two.

"Shinomiya and Kurusu." answered Ai who seemed to suddenly pop out of nowhere with his cellphone in his hands. By the way, what was Ai doing all this time?

"Minna-san!" called out a voice. They all turned their heads to find none other than Natsuki with an armful of Piyo merchandise.

"Speak of the devil." muttered Ren as he crossed his arms.

"More like 'speak of the giant yellow bird'." said Tokiya who was starting to feel better.

Natsuki looked like a kid with candy, a very happy kid.

Behind him however, was a ghost. Syo look beat and tired and battered. He looked like he just barely managed to survive an onslaught. His normally stylish clothes were rumpled, his hat wasn't set straight.

Natsuki was excitedly showing his friends his Piyo collection as Syo dragged on.

"You look horrible, Ochibi-chan." teased Ren.

After a few seconds, Syo lifted his head and stuck his tongue out at Ren, too tired to say anything.

All in all, they were happy. They were now happy.

Checking his pockets, Ranmaru pulled out his car keys with a frown. Why did he always get the odd jobs?

"Ranmaru-san, where are you going?" asked Corvus who had magically appeared behind him, making Ranmaru jump.

"To the car! I need to get the picnic supplies for em'." He stared at Corvus. "And don't just suddenly appear like that!"

Corvus raised his hands up in defense. "Sorry, sorry." Ranmaru was obviously angry about Corvus scaring the living daylights out of him. "Let me help you."

Making his way to the car park, Ranmaru swung the keys around. "Fine."

~.~.~.~

The coolers and basket were very heavy, considering that they packed enough food and drink for two elephants.

Ranmaru and Corvus grunted with effort trying to get them off the backseat. Corvus wondered how his hetereochromia senior got it in the car in the first place.

"Ranmaru-san, they're really heavy..."

"As if don't know that!"

Corvus laughed at Ranmaru's outburst. My my, was Ranmaru a hotheaded one.

His laugh was interrupted though. Corvus put the cooler down and whipped around so fast it made Ranmaru dizzy. His silver eyes came to meet with hot pink ones.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he growled. Weird, Ranmaru never heard Corvus growl before. Corvus was too kind to growl.

"Oh my, is that how you always greet people?" It was a woman's voice. "After we haven't seen each other for so long too~" She purred.

Turning around to see who it was, Ranmaru saw a woman, probably in her early twenties, standing in the parking lot. She had sunset hair with a yellow tint and hot pink eyes which looked like a predator's. She was curvy and her figure was highlighted by the fact that she was wearing a very tight red blouse and black miniskirt which showed off her long white legs. Her boots had heels, making her appear taller than she really was.

Her sunglasses sat on top of her long waist-length hair and she clutched a handbag on an arm. Her makeup was applied perfectly, not heavy enough to make her look like a china doll and not light enough to show her true face. Her big breasts strained against her tight blouse when she moved and the last part made Ranmaru blush.

Corvus clicked his tongue in disgust. "What the hell do you want?" There was enough poison in his voice to rival a cobra's.

The girl flicked her hair. "Came to see you. Is that so wrong?" She licked her full lips covered by red lipstick.

"I thought I told you before:" Corvus took a breath and focused his sharp silver eyes on the woman. "I don't want to have anything to do with you, Fanny."

The woman called Fanny just pouted. "Ah, how cold!" She feigned it.

Walking over to Corvus, she leaned on him, giving him a full view of her breasts. "Just spend some time with me. After all, I came all the way out to this junkyard to see you!" She playfully placed a finger on Corvus' chest, only to have her finger brushed away like dust.

"Go away." said Corvus. His voice was firm. He was not changing his mind about this, and no one could tell him otherwise. His gaze was penetrating.

"Hmm~ You might want to rethink your decision." her smile was devious, evil.

Corvus had begun to walk away. "And why should I?

Fanny pulled Corvus down to her height, digging her perfectly polished nails into the collar of his jacket, and whispered something in his ear with that evil smirk of hers, the smirk which showed her pearly whites, showed how perfect they were.

The tall male's eyes widened to dinner plates as Fanny talked on. He looked terrified. But not for himself. It was like he was terrified for someone else.

After being released from Fanny's grasp, Corvus bowed his head and sighed. This wasn't going to be easy for him. "Ranmaru-san, I'm sorry, but could you go back first?"

Ranmaru, who had all this time been quiet, spoke up. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Just, please..." His voice was pleading. When he turned around, Ranmaru could see the frown etched onto his face, his eyes lost their fierce vigour. Eyes of someone almost giving up.

Ranmaru nodded. "Just take care of your business quickly and come back!" And with that he left, leaving Corvus and Fanny in the parking lot. He had to tell someone.

"Well," Fanny put her smooth, moisturised hand on Corvus' left arm. "shall we find a place to discuss this problem?"

Her smile sickened him, but he had no choice. He had to play along.

_Oh, Masato, please forgive me._

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san!  
**

**Sorry that these few chapters have been a real drag, but I'll try to update as soon as I can! I'm sorry for the wait! **

**Afterthought: What can Fanny and Corvus be up to? Will this affect his relationship with Masato?  
**


	37. Chapter 36

Chapter 36 – Trade

_He's an idiot._

___A complete idiot._

___How could he not notice my feelings for him, even after all this time?_

The bluenet looked down to his trembling hands. He buried his face. He felt the tears prickling at the sides of his eyes.

_Idiot. _

_~.~.~.~_

"So, what did you drag me all the way here for?" asked a black-haired male.

The curvy woman in a red blouse who was sitting opposite him smiled. "Some business."

The male scoffed. "And what if I don't want to have any part in your business scheme?"

"Then you'll know what'll happen." The woman gave a devious smirk.

Corvus didn't like this one bit. Fanny had shown up out of nowhere and cornered him like a rat.

He wasn't a rat. He was a crow, but that didn't matter now.

"What the hell do you want me to do?" His voice was ice-cold and demanding. He wanted this to be over with.

A waiter came over to take their order and Corvus didn't bother to hide the venom in his voice for once. He was too angry and frustrated to care about others now.

All he cared about, was one person.

_Masato._

"Thinking about him again?" asked the woman as she caught Corvus' facial expression soften to a wistfulness.

Corvus narrowed his eyes. "Obviously I wouldn't be thinking about you." He didn't want Fanny to get three continents close to his Masato.

"How mean~" she purred and attempted to trail her polished nails across Corvus' white hand but was pushed away by it.

"Just tell me already." He noticed that the café was filling up with people and some of them gave him a stare that said _'Wow! How'd you bag a beauty like that?!'_. He could care less about this "beauty" sitting in front of him.

His only beauty was the one having a picnic with the members of STARISH and QUARTET NIGHT. A beauty with a clear and soothing voice. A beauty with soft blue locks, pale skin, long pianist's fingers, expressive eyes and a beauty mark under an eye. His beauty was Masato, and only Masato could be his beauty.

_Only Masato._

Fanny took a sip of her expensive strawberry milkshake (probably made from rubies if you look at the price) and licked her lips appreciatively. "Not the highest quality, but acceptable." The prices of food and drink in the café was able to drain one's wallet dry.

Corvus nodded absent-mindedly. He had no interest in fanny's preferences. He had no interest in her at all.

Seeing that Corvus was spacing out, she pulled him back to earth. "All I want you to do, is date me again." Her devious smile, her nails. Ugh.

"Why?" Corvus wasn't too fazed by the question. He knew Fanny was a lunatic, though he didn't know how much of a lunatic she was. He didn't want to know her lunacy. "Surely you haven't forgotten that you left me in the first place?"

She pouted. "Only because you treated me like trash!" Crossing her arms under her breasts, she continued. "I don't want to be your second fiddle! I want you to be mine!"

Shaking his head, Corvus sighed. "I don't like you Fanny. Not in the slightest."

"Then were you using me back then?" Her hot pink eyes bathed in fury.

He and Fanny had a fling when they were younger, even went on dates. But to Corvus, Fanny was just too much drama, too girly, too bitchy. They had only gotten together for one reason: Sex. They were young, Corvus was curious, they done it once and they done it again. That was the only thing on their minds.

However, it was different now. Corvus had found someone he really loved. Someone he could cherish for life. Someone to protect. Someone to give your life to.

Inclining his head slightly, Corvus had an amused smile on his face. "And what if I say yes?"

"Then these pictures," She pulled out some shots from her purse and held them in her polished nails. "will be leaked to every tabloid and magazine and newspaper in the world!"

Corvus was too shocked to move. He knew that she had pictures, but how did she get those...? He covered his mouth with his hand and Fanny wore a smug smile on her face.

"All these pictures, all the shame you will bring to your precious _Masato_." She said his name like it was contagious. Like it shouldn't be mentioned.

"Don't you dare say his name." lashed Corvus back. "Don't you dare utter his name with that sorrid mouth of yours." He wouldn't tolerate it like this.

"Then do it. Date me again."

"You just want the bloody sex."

Fanny shook her head, making some of her sunset locks fall in front of her chest. "Wrong. I want it for the fame." Her eyes burned with intensity. "I want the fucking fame."

"The fame?" What the hell was this bitch talking about?

"I caught wind that 'Corvus the Crow' is on his way back to stardom." she purred like a feline.

He scoffed. "Whoever told you that shit?" This wasn't too good. Had Fanny had a glimpse of his new songs? But they were still in his room, kept hidden. What if her photographer caught it? After all, she did get some shots of Masato and Corvus during that rainy night doing... stuff.

"I. Don't. Care." She whipped the photos back into her furry purse. "Deal, or no deal?"

Would he?

Should he?

"Deal."

~.~.~.~

Masato bit down hard on his lip. It almost bled.

Through the window, he could see Corvus with a woman. A pretty one at that. The woman looked like she was flirting, touching Corvus.

Yet, what pained Masato the most was that Corvus didn't reject the touches. Instead, he looked like he was enjoying it.

Biting back the tears that had invaded his eyes, Masato did the only thing he could.

He ran.

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san!  
**

**I will probably be updating weekly now, but please don't stop reading too soon! There's still a thick plot left for Corvus and Masato!**

**Thank you all who have followed/favourited/ reviewed! **


	38. Chapter 37

Chapter 37 – Sane?

The tears were not falling.

Not that he had any tears left to be shed.

Masato hugged the bedsheets around him tighter, finding an odd comfort in them. They were soft and fuzzy and warm. Sleeping on his futon was like sleeping on a cotton candy cloud. His pillow was made of the feathers of a swan. Everything was so soft and comfortable.

However, he would trade it all, if only he could lay his head down on Corvus' arm again. Compared to a hard muscled and bony arm, all the soft materials he had now would definitely be better, and any sane person would choose his comfy futon over an arm.

Masato was not sane.

He was insane.

Curling his fingers, he tangled them in the soft white and blue sheets. His long fingers caressed the fabric as they would caress a lover. He wanted to feel Corvus' fingers, not the soft fabric. He wanted to entwine those fingers with his own, feel the bones, the skin, the nails, every line, every curve.

He just wanted Corvus to be back.

~.~.~.~

After seeing Corvus and his lady friend, Masato ran. He ran as far as his legs could take him before they gave way due to the exertion. Finding himself in an alley, he crouched down and buried his head in his arms.

_Ren left me for another woman. Now, Corvus too?_

The blunet wanted to believe it was not so, that he had mistook it. That he was wrong. That they were nothing but old friends or business partners. That there was nothing on going in between them. That Corvus didn't respond to the flirts. That everything would go back to normal.

That he was wrong.

Images of what he had recently saw flashed through his mind. They were real. He was not wrong. The girl with Corvus, flirting with him. Corvus, seemingly accepting it. A smile on his face, a smile which showed how sharp his incisors were, showed his slightly yellowed teeth. A smile which made others swoon.

His knuckles were white from gripping onto his shirt with too much force. His nails dug deep into the fabric, almost tearing it. He bit down on his lip hard, drawing blood.

He was right, wasn't he?

~.~.~.~

Day two and Corvus is still not back. Masato kept a mental note that he would have to find out what had really happened.

Cleaning himself up and changing from his yukata into his normal cloths, he made his way past a sleeping Ranmaru and Ren, walking out the door and closing it softly behind him. The knob clicked.

The sunlight flowing in was cast brightly, falling to the red carpet in waves. The light seemed to bend, blending itself into the red carpet, mixing the two together. Golden sea and red earth. A gory match if you think about it.

Masato observed the dust particles floating in the air. They looked like snowflakes. He reached out to touch them. Or dandruff. When he swiped a hand at them, they moved with the current of the wind before settling down on the red earth.

Today was Sunday.

~.~.~.~

Morning and night are so different. At night, the soft glow from the moon makes everything look magical; while in the morning, the light makes everything look refreshing, in detail.

Looking at his life in detail, Masato found many holes. These pockets represent his failures and his loneliness. These pockets were marks laid on him, marks that reminded him of who he truly is. Of what he is.

Naively, he thought that Corvus could help him fill these holes. He had thought that Corvus could be the one to help him overlook all his failures and keep him company. He was right about that. When he was with his tutor, he felt that all his past failures did not matter, that they were trivial. That he would be accepted no matter what.

Looks like he became dependent.

~.~.~.~

A letter was laid on his futon. Addressed directly to him, Hijirikawa Masato.

Gingerly, Masato looked around the room and picked the letter up. No postage stamp. No return address. He flipped the envelope over several times and found nothing to suggest that it was sent by mail, and everything to suggest that it was sent by hand.

_One of Ren's tricks?_

Taking his penknife out from his drawer, he slashed the white envelope open, extracting a piece of paper. The writing was hasty, rushed. There was an ink blotch on the side of the paper. Reading the first word on the letter, Masato wanted to throw it away. Who was this person? But somehting made him continue, and his heart stopped beating after.

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san!  
**

**Thank you OnePiecefan202, our new favourite and all for supporting me!**

**Afterthought: want to read the letter?**


	39. Chapter 38

Chapter 38 – A letter

_To: Hijirikawa Masato_

_Dear Masato,_

_ You wonder how this letter had got to your futon in the first place. I did not affix a stamp, for fear that this letter will get lost along the way. Japan's postage system isn't reliable since most Japs are technology based. I am also afraid that a certain someone might find it and rip it to shreds before it can reach your hands. With that, I have personally sent this letter to you. You are asking me how I got into your room? By the window, of course! I couldn't just bang on the front door and risk being seen. _

_ I must firstly apologize for not being there for you. It would be Sunday when you receive this letter, right? I'm so sorry that I am not there to help you with your tutoring classes. Even though I have promised to help you all with your rise to stardom. It seems I am a failure as a tutor. Yet, I will fail yet again, for I will not be coming back. _

_ Yes, you have read correctly. I will not be coming back. _

_ Ever. _

_ You are surprised and your surprised face suits you well. You look adorably cute when you show that kind of expression, Masato. And I wish to see your various expressions again. When you smile, the air around you grows warmer. When you cry, the world cries with you. When you're mad, you manage to throw your victims into a volcano full of boiling lava. When you laugh, you light up the world. _

_ You are one of a kind, Masato. No, you're not one in a million. You are **the** are the only one who is able to open my heart and ransack around it. The only one who is able to turn my world upside down. The only one who lets me act as who I am. The only one who sees me as me. The only one whom I truly love._

_ I had a rhythm before I met you. A steady rhythm which told me not to get myself mixed up in relationships. A rhythm which I willingly followed. But then, I met you. Do you remember the first day we met? Maybe you do, maybe you don't. I was the weird addition to your dorms, the odd one out. I was introduced as a friend, nothing more, nothing less. The rest of you seemed skeptical about me. Have to admit that I look more like a blood-sucking vampire who's out to kill rather than a handsome prince charming._

_ When I first clasped my eyes on you Masato, I felt something bubble up inside of me. I didn't know what it was at first, but I learnt later on (after quite a long time too) that I have fallen head over heels in love with you. Gender and age did not matter at the point. Never mind that we are both guys. Never mind that I am at least three years your senior. Never mind that you had someone else at the time. I was completely smitten._

_ And I still am smitten by you. You have the silkiest locks, the palest complexion, the most tender skin, the most expressive eyes. I love how you play the piano. How your long pianist's fingers glide over the ivory and ebony keys, how you close your eyes sometimes to listen to the music, how the ends of your lips would always tug upwards when you played. _

_ Oh, how I wish I am the piano instead! Then I would be able to grant you the happiness you deserve. As I am now, living as a human, I can bring you nothing but hurt and pain. _

_ Masato, I love you, but I cannot be with you. _

_ I have my reasons for not being there with you. It would be for the best if you don't come looking for me either. If you do, I would probably bite off my tongue to commit suicide. If you gag me, I'll jump off a building. If you lock me in a room I'l... well, I'll find some way. As long as you don't look for me, it'll be fine. It's not that I do not like you that I am hiding from you. _

_ It's because I love you too much. _

_ I'm spouting nonsense in this letter, aren't I? Ranting on and on like an old man telling his life's story. Only problem is, I don't know if I can live without you. For the past 24 hours, I felt that I lacked oxygen and am struggling to even breathe. Without you Masato, my world is crumbling to pieces, all the strings that held it together before have snapped._

_ This is not supposed to be a letter for nonsense. It is supposed to be a letter to tell you a message. It is a letter to tell you that I've come to say goodbye. _

_ Without further ado (even if my heart is breaking and I hear the sad notes that emit from my chest), I bid you farewell. _

_ Farewell, Masato. I hope you find everlasting happiness. You definitely deserve it, after all you've been through. _

_ The major idiot who can't bear to say goodbye,_

_ CHIKA_

_P.S.:I'm pathetic, I can't bear to put my pen down. I know that this is goodbye, but my pen is still hovering over the paper. I accidentally splotched some ink on it too. Great, now it's dirtied! And I don't have time to whip up a new one, so I hope you won't be offended by the ink blot and messy writing. Well, the crow is out. _

~.~.~.~

Masato put a hand to his mouth. _What in the world has that idiot done?_

* * *

**Arigatou, minna-san! Yay, I updated faster this time! ^o^**

**Here's the letter that Corvus sent to Masato. A horrid letter I must say, to write your loved one. But what's done is done, so on to the next chapter! (Probably going to update next week)**

**Afterthought: Corvus, you have to take letter writing classes.**


	40. Chapter 39

Chapter 39 – Caged

Corvus fingered the fancy pen. He twirled it around and around in his ghost white fingers, making the red fountain pen look nothing more than a blur. Mere hours ago, he had used this very pen to write a letter (a horrible one) to his one and only Masato.

Now, he was caged in this over-priced and over-decorated hotel room which Fanny had booked.

Letting go of a long and tired sigh, he sank into the cushions of the chair, also a fancy type. The chair itself could've been worth a fortune, with its oak legs and red velvet cover. The head was tinted with gold and emeralds were placed at the side of the armrests.

It was for the rich, the powerful and the antique collectors.

It was certainly not for Corvus.

He would much prefer his old swivel chair back at the dorms. Its cushions had already moulded into his shape, giving him optimum comfort. The armrests were made of hard plastic which had been smoothed over time. The springs were a bit creaky when he sat on them, but they made the most wonderful noise when he spun around in his chair.

That was the chair he wanted to have, not this one.

Speaking of which, most things in his prison (he calls it so because it is a place in which he does not wish to be in) are fancy yet useless. The desk in front of him was made of a handsome oak, built heavy and was most probably carved by a master. But the surface of the table was so small that people who had the intention of doing nothing but drinking a cup of coffee could use it. There was a four poster bed in the middle of the room, the wood carved and the blankets and covers made of soft material. But the mattress itself was as hell and Corvus doubts that a princess could feel a pea under it. A two seater sofa sat on the other side of the room, looking mighty fine. But the springs were probably broken, for when Corvus sat down, he just sank right in. The room was full of paintings, but these paintings look like they have been done by a child. They call it "modern art".

In truth, Corvus was very bored.

He should've sneaked a novel or two in here when he dropped over at Masato's. Or a collection of manga. Or maybe his ipod. He wanted, no needed, to hear Masato's voice so badly. That clear voice.

Corvus banged his head on the small table. Fanny had made him stay put. She said that she will come back in the evening, that Corvus would have to take her to this gala of sorts. He had scowled at her and the thought of going to another gala. He hated places like those, places which housed all those snobbish and conceited people.

Unless Masato asked him to go, of course. If Masato asked, then there would be a good reason as to why he wanted to go, so his going will not be in vain.

He stared at the grandfather clock which stood on the floor, its hand moving so, so, _so_ slowly. It was only 3 o'clock.

Corvus let out a frustrated growl before banging his head on to the table once more. He hated to wait for his inescapable doom. It felt like he was being executed.

Fun fact: Did you know that crows are not meant to be locked up in cages? They are birds who are programmed to be free, to fly in the sky. If you do lock one up, it will become very violent. In an attempt to break free from the cage, the crow will not only hurt itself, but it will trouble others too. It will bite, will caw, will poop everywhere. And if you let it go, it will most definitely seek revenge.

That was Corvus. He absolutely did not like to be caged.

Seeing it as a way to pass the time, he mentally made a list of all the things he hates about his captor, Fanny.

- She looks hideous with all her make up.

- Her hair smelt of thirteen different types of shampoo.

- Her skin smelt of thirty different types of soap.

- Her eyes are the windows to her wretched soul (you can practically see the rot).

- Her voice is too sweet and too fake.

- Her breasts are fake too, plastic surgery.

- She is a demon in disguise.

- She is a whore (she slept with countless of men before, even when she was still with Corvus).

- She puts up a fake act on the outside which manages to deceive most, if not all people.

- Her personality could rival Satan's.

The list went on and on until it reached a hundred.

It was barely 4pm.

_Masato, I really miss you._

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san! **

**Please favourite/ follow/ review! It'll make me a happy producer of stories!**

**Afterthought: How would you know that her breasts are fake, Corvus? **


	41. Chapter 40

Chapter 40 – Masquerade

Masks.

There were masks of every kind, masks of every caliber. Feathers, sequins, glitter, lace, suede, leather, plastic, rope, rouge, tresses, arabian, british. All the masks you could ever dream of, right there in one room.

Corvus had seen the sight before, yet it never did fail to amaze him how much money people waste just to spend it on masks.

Fanny, with her sickeningly sweet voice and sharp nails had announced that they were going to this gala downtown. It was to celebrate the opening of some company and Fanny had been invited. She was pissed that it would be a masquerade ball where everyone would hide their faces. She wanted people to see her latest decoration, Corvus the Crow.

Corvus on the other hand, thanked the gods and his lucky stars. He was** not **going to be seen by anyone. That in itself, was a huge relief.

Looking to his left, Corvus found a vixen at his side. And an ugly one at that. Fanny was dressed in a strikingly maroon dress which hugged her figure in all the right places. Straps of her black bra could be seen and her underwear could be traced through the thin fabric of the dress. Her hair was piled up on her head like a bee hive. A dead fox hung on her neck. Corvus pitied the poor thing. The mask she wore consisted of feathers, sequins and trimmings made of gold. The base was scarlet with rubies embedded near the eyes.

Fanny looked like she always did. Much too flashy.

A contrast to his showy partner of the evening, Corvus was only dressed in a simple suit. Crisp white shirt, black slacks, vintage jacket, skinny black tie and black suede shoes. He thought of himself dressing as if for a funeral. Corvus smiled silently to himself. _I wonder what Masato would think. _His mask was a thin one made of black leather. It had nothing to show off, no feathers, no glitter, no over-priced jewels. The only thing it had was a small white pattern on the side in the shape of a diamond. The design was simple enough for him then.

Throughout the ride, Corvus had said nothing to Fanny, She was in a world of her own, looking at her nails, checking her reflection every few minutes, reapplying her makeup, puffing up her hair. Her hot pink eyes darted around the interior of the limo, looking, no, looking _away_ from something.

That left Corvus with time to himself. All he thought about, all he could think about was Masato. Masato filled him completely. His face, his voice, his talent, his quirks. Filled him until he was suffocating. Filled him until he had to stop his hands from pulling his tie straight off.

_What would you be doing now, Masato? _

~.~.~.~

The gala was all that Fanny was. Flashy, showy, big, expensive but not an ounce of sincerity. The gala was all that most rich people were.

The chaffuer opened the door to the white limousine. A red carpet was laid on the ground, a welcome mat for the guests. Reluctantly, Corvus stepped out and took a deep breath. The flashing of camera lights, the sounds of shouts from the journalists, clicks of the cameras, police officers and bodyguards trying to hold the crowd back. Fanny stepped out of the vehicle, wrapping her hands around Corvus' arm. He had to stop himself from shrugging those hands off.

As they walked in, questions by the thousands were thrown at them.

"Fanny, is that your new boyfriend?"

"Who's the hunk?"

"Sir, do you know about Fanny, the most beautiful woman in town?"

"How long has it been since your relationship started?"

"Are you engaged?"

"Show us a kiss!"

Fanny smiled and waved, making most male members of the audience swoon.

Corvus frowned. Were these people really that gullible? A sharp pain shot through his arm. Fanny dug her nails into his flesh, signalling him to follow her lead. Having no choice, Corvus had to smile stupidly too. Even if his face was hidden by the mask, one could tell that he was not at all bad-looking. And so, when he flashed one of his idol smiles, most were shocked and the girls blushed.

~.~.~.~

Two hours had gone by and they had yet to be done.

In the span of these two hours, Corvus had met many people. Idols, singers, actors, actresses, models, photographers, congressmen, businessmen, men with power, girls with bodies that underwent plastic surgery. He had met enough people to last a lifetime yet he would not remember any one of them when he wakes up the nest morning. Their meetings are just like the meetings of butterflies. Short and forgettable.

Corvus sipped the glass of white champagne in his hand and felt more at ease. The alcohol was one thing as it worked its way through Corvus' system, Fanny was another. Thanking the gods(again) for their mercy, Corvus finished his drink in a gulp.

Someone had come for Fanny. An acquaintance, one would suppose. Or someone who she slept with. No matter. He was a wiry man, with a thinning head of hair. About fifty. He had all the signs of a rich man too. Rolex watch made of 14 karat gold, gold studs, emerald ring with a precision cut. He had whisked the vixen away and Corvus couldn't be more grateful.

Placing his glass on the tray of a passing waiter, Corvus leaned back onto one of the beige walls. The ballroom was huge, just a tad smaller than the size of a football court. People were gathered in here like bees to honey and it was stuffy. The need for oxygen rose higher as more people came buzzing in to the room.

Feeling the sweat begin to run down his back, making his shirt sticky, Corvus pushed himself from the wall and walked to someplace cooler. The air conditioning system was already at full blast, cooling the room as much as it could. Yet, it felt like he was being slowly heated to death.

Many people could not stand the heat either. They helped themselves to the refreshments or went out for some air. Deciding to follow their lead, Corvus opened the glass windows to one of the balconies and closed the windows with the giant curtains. He needed the air and privacy.

Outside, he felt much better. The air was humid since summer had not completely ended, but it was better than being inside with all the sweaty people. He took of his mask and wiped the sweat from his brow while admiring the view. He was on the highest floor of a five star hotel and the city looked incredible. Magical, even. The lights bathed the city, glowing against the dark night sky. Stars were hardly seen, but the brighter ones shone through the clouds, like eyes in the sky. Were the gods pitying him?

Just then, a click. Turning his head, he could see that someone was opening the window to the balcony. He wanted to slip his mask back on, but it was too stuffy to do so. If they saw him, so what? They could look all they want! The press, the people, those filthy rich pigs in the politics. As long as they didn't even take a glance at Masato, then he was fine.

He felt his breath catch in his throat.

From the dark curtains, a figure emerged. She had long blue hair which fell down to her shoulders like silk. Her skin was a pale and healthy hue and her cheeks were naturally a rosy pink (Corvus could tell that she was not wearing blush). Her fingers were long and slender, wrapped in thin white gloves. And the dress she wore was made for her.

A royal blue base with dark blue lace and silver trimmings. It showed off her shoulders and had long sleeves that reached her wrists. It didn't seem too tight for her, nor did it seem too big for her. It looked like an extension of her skin. Her long pale neck was exposed and showed that she wore no necklace. Corvus thought it would've been better if she wore a thin silver chain around her neck to compliment her dress.

Her mask was on another level on its own. Made to match her dress, it was a royal blue one with silver trimmings. Instead of the typical feathers which made the wearer look like a chicken or a cock, this one had flowing silk. The dark blue silk hung from the right side of the mask, long and thin. Stardust was sprinkled on it, the silver glitter making it look more dynamic.

She was breath taking, as much as Corvus would hate to admit it.

He felt his heart in peril. It pounded in his chest, and made him feel hollow when he saw the girl in front of him. He felt so, because the girl reminded him of Masato. The hollowness was growing.

"Good evening." He greeted the girl first, seeing as he had to play the gentleman here. "Beautiful view we have here."

The girl was motionless. No reply, no acknowledgement came from her. When she opened her mouth to speak however, Corvus' heart stopped beating.

"What are you doing, Corvus?"

An accusation in the form of a whisper.

"Masato?"

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san!~ Please continue reading!**


	42. Chapter 41

Chapter 41 – An unlikely encounter

_"Good evening." He greeted the girl first, seeing as he had to play the gentleman here. "Beautiful view we have here."_

_The girl was motionless. No reply, no acknowledgement came from her. When she opened her mouth to speak however, Corvus' heart stopped beating._

_"What are you doing, Corvus?"_

_An accusation in the form of a whisper._

_"Masato?"_

~.~.~.~

Corvus' eyes couldn't help but widen as big and round as dinner plates. Corvus had thought that Masato would not be here in the first place, since this type of fanciful gala did not need the presence of a respectable business heir like Masato, much less come here dressed up as a girl.

Corvus eyed Masato once more, from top to bottom. The royal blue dress, the mask, the hair, the slim waist, the thin wrists, the long and slender fingers. Masato was still Masato, but Masato looked like a girl. No problem, he could get that into his system.

His throat was dry and parched. He wanted to speak, but found it difficult to even form a sound. The desert was not clearing up anytime soon, and Corvus wanted another drink. He didn't care if it was alcoholic or not.

Even before he could contemplate to say anything to the beauty standing before him, Masato walked straight up to the Crow and gave him a tight slap across the face.

"Ow..." groaned Corvus in pain. Masato did gave him a good slap after all that he had done. Bringing up a hand to touch his reddened cheek, Corvus winced in pain. "What did you do th-...?!"

Before he could finish his idiotic sentence, pale hands hung on the lapels of his jacket and pulled him down, making his lips meet with Masato's. The brunet was crashing their lips together, holding on to Corvus like he was a lifeline.

His shocked brain had to take a while before Corvus could fully recover from the suddenness of the situation. Finding Masato in a dress and drooling after him, getting slapped on the cheek (it still hurt) and finally, being kissed like there was no tomorrow.

Slowly, but surely, Corvus responded to Masato's desperate kiss. He licked the bottom of Masato's pale lip before feeling his teeth, begging for entrance. Masato readily opened his mouth and from there on out it was a clash of tongues. Their slick muscles fought against each other, seeking the other out.

Corvus was slowly dominating when Masato leaned flush against his body, his knees wobbling slightly. Corvus slid his arm around Masato's slim waist and pulled him closer, increasing the friction between their tongues and decreasing the space between them.

There was a slight moan which came from Masato and sent shivers down Corvus' spine. Oh, how he wished to hear that moan in these past few days! Masato reached up to fix his fingers in Corvus' black locks to tug on them. Corvus growled in response to the affectionate action.

All things have to come to an end, as when they broke their kiss. They were humans and needed oxygen after all.

Pulling back, Corvus took in the image of a kissed Masato. Red and swollen lips, pink tinted cheeks, heaving chest, glazed over eyes. He looked beautiful, as he always did. He wanted to burn this image of Masato into his ming forever. He did not want to lose something as important as this. He must've looked weird to Masato. He could tell his cheeks were burning and the back of his neck felt very hot.

The brunet seemed to say something. He opened his lips for a time, but closed them again, unsure of what to say. Corvus knew that Masato was having inner conflict again. He ran a thumb over Masato's porcelain cheek, caressing it. Leaning down, he placed a chaste kiss on Masato's lips before enveloping him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry."

And without any warning, Masato could feel wet tears stream down his cheeks.

~.~.~.~

"I never expected you to be here. Or to be dressed like that."

After the silent tears and another kissing session, this time filled with more passion, they had resorted to talking in the end. They leaned on the railings of the balcony, enjoying the view.

Masato had blushed at the comment, making his cheeks rosy. How Corvus wanted to kiss them again! "Tch. Ren made me dress up like this."

"Ren?" Corvus may still have a distaste for the blond playboy, but he held no grudge. After all, Masato chose him. In addition, Corvus could not deny that Ren is an important friend to Masato.

The said brunet sighed. "That lump of flirts told me that if I didn't want to get recognized at this gala, I should disguise myself." Masato was pretty well-known. He **was** the heir to the Hijirikawa family and one of the STARISH members after all. "Never thought he'd stuff me in a stupid dress."

Corvus gave a small laugh at the last comment. Ren was the kind of person to do these things. "Even so, you look extremely beautiful and gorgeous in a dress, Masato."

The black-haired male said it so full of sincerity that Masato blushed wildly again. Seriously, he swore that Corvus was the only one who could convince him that he looked good. In a dress nonetheless. "Idiot."

Corvus laughed once again, his unique voice rich with laughter and filling the night air.

"I suppose you want an explanation?" asked Corvus innocently. He was touched and impressed that Masato tracked him all the way here. How did he manage to find him? Fanny was very private when it came to thee things.

The young man across him nodded.

Averting his gaze, Corvus sighed. He never thought that the day would come when he had to explain it to Masato. No preparation and he could accidentally step on a mine which would bomb him up. Even after the kiss, Masato was dangerous to deal with when enraged.

"Alright. I'll tell you."

* * *

**Minna-san, thank you so much for still reading!  
I know I haven't updated in a long time and have kept you waiting. For that I am very, very sorry! I had to tackle my exams before I could write up new stories, which explains the lateness.  
I promise minna-san to give them a better chapter next time! **


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